Cowpea is oldest annual legume grown throughout India for green pods, dry seeds, green manure and fodder purpose. It is consider as crop of African origin. It is drought hardy crop also quick growing thus supressed weeds during initial stage. It also help to conserved soil and moisture. Cowpea is a good source of protein, calcium and iron. It is used as fodder in dry and water scarcity areas.

It can be grown in variety of soils but gives best result when grown on well drained loamy soils.

Pusa Komal: Bush variety having thick, cylindrical, fleshy and light green color. It is resistant to bacterial wilt. Gives average yield of 80qtl/acre of green fodder.

Pusa Dofasli: Suitable for winter, summer as well as rainy season. Gives average yield of 30-32qtl/acre of green foldder.  

Pusa Barsati: Higher yielding variety. Pods are light, green color. It gives an average yield of 37-40qtl/acre of green fodder and Gives average grain yield of 8-10qtl/acre.   

Pusa Phalguni: Dwarf, bushy variety suitable for spring season. Gives average yield of 28 to 30qtl/acre of green fodder. 

Pusa Rituraj: Bushy variety ready to harvest in 45 to 50days. Suitable for rainy as well as summer season sowing. Sown for green pods as well as for seed purpose. It gives an average yield of 34-42qtl/acre of green fodder. 

Kokan Sadabahar: Ready to harvest in 60-65days. Early maturing variety, medium size grains. It gives an average grain yield of 5-6.25qtl/acre. 

Kokan Safed: Ready to harvest in 70-75days. Bold seeded variety. It gives an average grain yield of 5.8-6.7qtl/acre.

It requires normal bed preparation like other pulse crops. Give two ploughing to bring soil to fine tilth and carry out planking after each ploughing.

Time of sowing

Cowpea is cultivated in Kharif as well as summer season. For Kharif season, June-July is optimum time for sowing. 

For Summer season, January to March is optimum time for cowpea cultivation. 

Spacing

For sowing use row to row spacing of 45cm and plant to plant spacing of 10cm. 

Method of sowing

For grain purpose, sow seeds with help of pora or seed cum fertilizer drill. Where as for green manure purpose use broadcasting method. 

Seed Rate

For sowing one acre land, seed rate of 6-8kg per acre is required.

Seed Treatment

Before sowing, treat seeds with Thiram@2.5gm/kg of seeds or Carbendazim 50%WP@2gm per kg of seeds. It will protect seeds from seed rot and seedling mortality.

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

Overall cowpea requires, Nitrogen@10kg/acre (Urea@22kg) and Phosphorus@20kg(SSP@125kg). Apply all fertilizer at time of field preparation. Cowpea respond well to Phosphorus fertilizers. It help to improves root as well as plant growth, plant nutrient uptake, nodulations etc.  

Apply irrigation depending upon rainfall frequency and intensity. Apply one or two protective irrigation in case delay of rainfall for pro-long period. Flowering and Pod development stage are sensitive to water stress. Provide frequent and light irrigation once flowering stage starts.   

To protect crop from weeds, Apply Pendimethalin@750ml/acre in 200Ltr of water within 24hours of sowing.

Provide bamboo support in trailing type varieties once crop start vining. 

• Pests and their control:

Jassid and Black Aphid: If infestation of jassid and black aphid is observed, take spray of Malathion 50EC@200ml/acre in 80-100 Litres of water.

Bihar hairy caterpillar: Its infestation is high in month of August to November. To protect crop from this pest, take one row of sesame seeds around cowpea field at time of sowing.

• Diseases and their control:

Seed rot and seeding mortality: It is caused by various seed-borne microflora. The infected seeds are shrivelled and discoloured. Infected seedlings are killed before these emerge out of soil and cause poor stand of the crop. For its control treat seed with Emisan 6 @2.5 g/kg seed or Bavistin  50WP @ 2g/kg seed before sowing.

55 to 65 days after, crop is ready for harvesting.