Field Crop 2025, Vol.8, No.5, 231-237 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 231 Case Study Open Access Analysis on the Application Effect of Soil Testing and Formula Fertilization in Cowpea Planting Xiaoxi Zhou, Tianxia Guo Institute of Life Sciences, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: Tianxia.guo@jicat.org Field Crop, 2025, Vol.8, No.5 doi: 10.5376/fc.2025.08.0023 Received: 19 Jul., 2025 Accepted: 31 Aug., 2025 Published: 23 Sep., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Zhou and Guo, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Zhou X.X., and Guo T.X., 2025, Analysis on the application effect of soil testing and formula fertilization in cowpea planting, Field Crop, 8(5): 231-237 (doi: 10.5376/fc.2025.08.0023) Abstract Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), as an important economic vegetable crop, is highly sensitive to nutrient supply conditions. Traditional fertilization methods often have problems such as excessive dosage, nutrient imbalance and environmental pollution. This study took the typical cowpea main production area as the research object, and compared and analyzed the effects of two fertilization methods on cowpea yield, root growth, leaf nutrient content, soil organic matter and pH changes. At the same time, the utilization efficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers and the potential impact on the agricultural ecological environment of different fertilization methods were evaluated. The results showed that compared with the traditional fertilization method, soil testing and formula fertilization can significantly improve the yield and quality of cowpea, promote the development of root system and plant robustness, enhance the absorption capacity of nitrogen and other nutrients, and effectively improve soil fertility and structure. This study hopes to promote the green and efficient planting of cowpea and promote the sustainable development of regional agriculture. Keywords Soil testing and formula fertilization; Cowpea; Yield improvement; Nutrient absorption; Soil improvement 1 Introduction When planting cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), the problem of insufficient fertilizer application is often encountered. Especially in some acidic soils such as red soil, phosphorus is easily fixed and nutrients are not easily absorbed by plants. In many cases, traditional fertilization methods are not very effective. They either do not match the needs of crops or the nutrients that the soil can provide. As a result, the yield cannot be increased, and it is easy to cause nutritional imbalance, and more money is spent but there is no effect (Sihotang et al., 2022). Excessive or insufficient use of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium will affect the growth of cowpeas, and may also cause poor yield and quality (Sukyankij et al., 2022). In order to improve this situation, more and more people are now using "soil testing and formula fertilization". This method is quite practical. First, see what is missing in the soil, and then determine how much fertilizer to apply according to the needs of cowpeas, mainly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Testing methods such as the Olsen method and the Bray-1 method can help determine whether there is enough phosphorus in the soil and then determine how much to apply (Susila et al., 2010). This method is particularly useful in places where soil conditions vary greatly, and can be managed according to the specific conditions of the plots, so that yields can be increased and fertilizers are not wasted. This study analyzed the effects of soil testing and fertilization on cowpea production, focusing on its effects on soil chemical properties, crop yields and input efficiency, and combined the results of field trials and calibration studies to evaluate the effectiveness of this method in optimizing fertilization, reducing unnecessary inputs and improving farmers' economic benefits. This study hopes to guide the best practices for sustainable cowpea cultivation, promote efficient resource use, and support the wider application of precision agriculture technology in legume production systems.
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