Leaf Area Manipulation with Vegetative Cowpea Plants (Vigna unguiculata(L) Walp)

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Abstract
Staked and ‘topped’ cowpea plants (cv. K 2809) with six trifoliate leaves were defoliated in various ways and grown on for 9 d in controlled-environment growth cabinets. Leaves which were from 2 to 3 weeks old contributed little to further dry weight increment of vegetative plants. When parts of young leaves were removed plant dry weight increase was affected only slightly as compensatory expansion of the remaining laminae took place. The complete removal of several young leaves was highly detrimental to subsequent plant growth. Thus, the outcome of defoliation depended not just on the absolute leaf area removed but also on the position (age) of the leaves treated and whether or not loss of whole leaves or just parts of leaves was involved.

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