This study was accomplished with the objective of evaluating the effect of different levels of cattle manure in the presence and absence of mineral fertilizer bout the productivity and quality of cowpea seeds, cultivar IPA - 206. Two experiments were conducted at Center of Agrarian Sciences of the Federal University of Paraíba from of September 1998 to January 1999, by one at the field and to in the laboratory. The field experiment was conducted to evaluate seed production, with treatments consisting of five levels of cattle manure (zero, 10, 20, 30 and 40t/ha) and presence or absence of mineral fertilizer. The experimental design of randomized blocks was used, with the treatments distributed in factorial scheme 5x2, in four replications. In the laboratory experiment, aimed to the evaluate seed quality, the treatments were also distributed in factorial scheme 5x2, but the experimental design was completely randomized with four replications. Seed yield in the presence of mineral fertilizer, reached a maximum value at 3,0t/ha with 21t/ha of cattle manure. In
the absence of mineral fertilizer, the maximum yield (2,0t/ha) was attained with 25t/ha. The economical analysis point the level of 18t/ha of cattle manure as the economically viable for cowpea bean seeds production. Seed germination in the laboratory was equivalent at the presence or absence of mineral fertilizer (88%), indicating that cattle manure, by itself increases of seeds germination. Cattle manure, in the presence of mineral fertilizer produced more vigorous seeds. A linear increase of seeds of germination of velocity index observed with of cattle manure levels, while in the absence of mineral fertilizer, increase germination velocity index was inversely proportional to the levels of cattle manure. Root length increased with cattle manure in the absence of mineral fertilizer, the level of 20t/ha leading to highest length.