https://www.journalarja.com/index.php/ARJA/issue/feed 2026-05-27T10:55:14+00:00 Asian Research Journal of Agriculture [email protected] Open Journal Systems <div><strong>Asian Research Journal of Agriculture (ISSN: 2456-561X)</strong> aims to publish high quality papers (<a href="https://journalarja.com/index.php/ARJA/general-guideline-for-authors">Click here for Types of paper</a>) in field of agricultural science. By not excluding papers based on novelty, this journal facilitates the research and wishes to publish papers as long as they are technically correct and scientifically motivated. The journal also encourages the submission of useful reports of negative results. This is a quality controlled, OPEN peer-reviewed, open-access INTERNATIONAL journal.</div> <div> </div> <div><strong>NAAS Score: 4.86 (2026)</strong></div> https://www.journalarja.com/index.php/ARJA/article/view/862 2026-05-26T09:57:43+00:00 Linda Charlotte Kewang Akiki [email protected] Philippe Kosma Liliane Iyalé

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cowpea is a protein-rich legume essential for food security in sub-Saharan Africa, but its productivity is increasingly constrained by drought and irregular rainfall patterns.</p> <p><strong>Objective</strong><strong>:</strong> To address intra-seasonal drought episodes when they occur at critical stages of the crop and to mitigate the resulting decline in yield in Cameroon, it is necessary to identify and understand the mechanisms of water-stress tolerance in accessions at different stages of their growth cycle.</p> <p><strong>Methodology</strong><strong>: </strong>One hundred and seventy-three cowpea accessions and one control variety were evaluated under two factors (genotype and developmental stage) for their response to different water conditions. The agro-morphological and physiological parameters of the plants were assessed per bag in a randomized complete block design with three replications. An intermittent water-deficit treatment covering both the vegetative and reproductive stages was studied.</p> <p><strong>Results and Discussion: </strong>The results show that water stress negatively affects agro-morphological and physiological variables, considerably reducing their performance, and that its effect is more noticeable during the second water stress. Nevertheless, water stress caused a greater increase in chlorophyll content in the majority of accessions during the second water stress (SH2), from the vegetative stage to flowering, which led to a decrease in final productivity because of their inability to manage light energy (photoinhibition). Accessions A161, A108, A106, A1 and A151 proved to be accessions of choice in terms of pod production, seed production, root size per plant and water-stress tolerance. Accessions A12, A45, A93, A105, A146 and A167 also proved to be accessions of choice in terms of greenness, recovery rate, chlorophyll content and water-stress tolerance, outperforming the control variety A140 in performance. The identification of these accessions could be used in breeding programs to improve cowpea tolerance at the vegetative and/or reproductive stages and could help increase yield.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Based on yield-related traits, root length and responses to water deficit, the study revealed that accessions A161, A108, A106, A1 and A151 were identified as promising drought-tolerant accessions.</p>

2026-05-26T00:00:00+00:00 Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s). The licensee is the journal publisher. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. https://www.journalarja.com/index.php/ARJA/article/view/863 2026-05-27T10:55:14+00:00 Jyoti Jangra Manak Chand Soni Vinita Rajput [email protected] Sunil Kumar

<p>Farmer-Producer Organizations (FPOs) are increasingly recognized as key institutional mechanisms for enhancing smallholder competitiveness, market integration, and income security in India. This study assesses the institutional performance, governance practices, diversification strategies, technology adoption, marketing structure, and economic viability of eight selected FPOs in Hisar district, Haryana. Primary data were collected from 200 member farmers and FPO officials during 2022-24 and analyzed using descriptive and comparative methods. The findings reveal significant heterogeneity across FPOs. Organizations with higher active membership, regular board meetings, and wider geographic outreach demonstrated stronger institutional foundations. Diversification into high-value horticulture, processing, and allied activities, along with moderate digital adoption, contributed to improved operational efficiency and market access. Institutional sales constituted a substantial share of total transactions, and annual sales revenues ranged between ₹25-30 lakhs with modest but stable profitability. However, financial gains were not uniformly distributed among members, indicating the need for more inclusive governance and benefit-sharing mechanisms. The study concludes that strengthening social capital, professional management, digital capacity, and value addition infrastructure is critical for enhancing the long-term sustainability of FPOs in semi-arid agricultural regions.</p>

2026-05-27T00:00:00+00:00 Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s). The licensee is the journal publisher. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.