Response of the Benga tigré Variety of Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) to the Effects of Mineral Nutrition and Plant Density on the Yield and Yield Components in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Mung bean (Vigna radiata), introduced into Burkina Faso in the 1980s, remains underused in rural production systems. This study evaluated the response of the Benga tigré variety to fertilisation and sowing density to identify a suitable management combination under the conditions of the Saria research station. The experiment used a randomised complete block design with three replications and combined five fertilisation treatments—NPK (100 kg/ha), station compost (2,500 kg/ha), Jatropha compost (2,500 kg/ha), station compost plus NPK, and Jatropha compost plus NPK—with six sowing densities. Emergence rate, days to 50% flowering, days to 50% maturity, 1,000-grain weight, pod yield, and grain yield were assessed. Data were analysed using GenStat 12th Edition, and treatment means were compared using the Bonferroni test at the 5% level. Fertilisation did not significantly affect emergence rate (p = 0.558) or 1,000-grain weight (p = 0.461), but it significantly affected flowering, maturity, pod yield, and grain yield (p < 0.001). Treatments T3 and T5 produced the shortest crop cycles, while T5 recorded the highest pod and grain yields (2,234 and 1,568 kg/ha, respectively). A spacing of 60 × 30 cm, equivalent to 110,556 plants/ha, gave the highest grain yield among the tested densities. These findings indicate that Jatropha compost, applied alone or with NPK, together with an appropriate plant density, may improve mung bean productivity under the study conditions.