Cultivation practices of cowpea(vigna unguiculata .

L)

Submitted to: Dr. Submitted by :

Vikram Singh Gopu Praveena
Associate Professor, 18MSAGRO004
Department of Agronomy . M.Sc .Ag. (Agronomy)
CLASSIFICATION:
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Order : Fables
• Family : Fabaceae
• Genus : Vigna
• Species : unguiculata

Source: Dr. Tiwari , A.K., Shivhare, A. 2016.Pulses in India Retrospect &prospects.2:1-317

INTRODUCTION
 Both summer and rainy season crop.
 Grown for green pods, dry seeds and fodder
Seeds rich in protein (23-28%)
 Called as vegetable meat.

When cultivated for dry seeds, it is called as

• Kaffir pea
• Southern pea

Green pods are called

Catjang bean
Asparagus bean

Source: Dr. Tiwari , A.K., Shivhare, A. 2016.Pulses in India Retrospect &prospects.2:1-317

Origin:
• It is originated in west Africa.
• Its production is spread to east ad central Asia , India,south and Central America.
• It is now grown throughout Tropics and Sub Tropics.

source: Directorate Agricultural information services.

Nutrient classification
Component Quantity (mg-milligrams/g-
grams.

Energy 336 KJ

Carbohydrates 60.03 grams

Fat 1.26 grams

Protein 23.52 grams

Vitamins C 1.5 mg
Calcium 110 mg
Magnesium 184 mg
Zinc 3.37 mg
Water 11.95 g
Source : https://en.m.wikipedia.org>wiki>Cowpea.
Botany
• Cowpea ia an annual herb having erect or semi erect or spreading habit.
• Strong root system with profuse nodulation .
• Inflorescence is axillary with 2-4 flowers crowded near tips on short curved peduncles.
• Seeds are 2-12 mm long globular to reniform , smooth or wrinkled.
• Germination is epigeal.

Source: Rajendra Prasad. (2016).Textbook of field crops-Foodgrain crops.

Vernacular names

• Telangana : Baberalu

• Kerala : Payar

• Hindi : Lobia

• Marathi : Chavil

• Tamil : Karamani
 Climate
• Warm season crop.
• Thrives best between 21-35 °C.
• It cannot tolerate cold weather and heavy rainfall and waterlogging condition.
• Dry matter production and root development and nodulation is reduced if the photoperiod is < 12 hours.

Source: Rajendra Prasad. (2016).Textbook of field crops-Foodgrain crops.

Soils
• Well drained loam soils are best.
• In colder climate somewhat sandy soil preffered as crop mature earlier in them.
• It can be grown successfully in acidic soil but not in saline soils.

Source: Dr. Tiwari , A.K., Shivhare, A. (2016).Pulses in India Retrospect &prospects.2:1-317.

Field Preparation

• In hard soil one deep ploughing followed by two harrowing or three harrowing and planking are sufficient .
• In normal soil only two planking and one harrowing is necessary.

Source: Dr. Tiwari , A.K., Shivhare, A. (2016). Pulses in India Retrospect &Prospects.
 Varieties:

Zone Variety Year Special character

Rajasthan Durga kranti 2001 Moderate disease tolerant
Delhi V 578 2004 -
Punjab CL 367 2006 -
Rajasthan Kashi Kanchan 2008 Yellow mosaic
resistance
Kerala Subhra 2002 Free from common disease

Source: Rajendra Prasad. (2016).Textbook of field crops-Foodgrain crops.

UP VARIETIES
Variety Year Special character
UPC 607 2003 Shattering tolerant
UPC 618 2006 Drought tolerant
Kashi Kanchan 2008 Early type
Pusa Swani - -
Source: Rajendra Prasad. (2016).Textbook of field crops-Foodgrain crops.
 Cropping sequence

• Cowpea + Sunflower
• Cowpea +Maize
• Maize+Mustard +cowpea

• Note: Rotation of cowpea with maize have improved the NUE compared to monocropping in alfisols-W.J HORST.
SOURCE:https://www.jstor.org.

Seed rate and Sowing

Seed rate :
Grain purpose: 25-30 kg ha.
Foder purpose : 40 kgha.

Spacing :
Spreading type :45*15 cms.
Non spreading type: 30*10cms.

Plant population:
Spreading: 200000 lakhs/ha.
Non spreading: 300000 lakhs/ha.

Method of sowing :Dibbling.

Source :( Pathan et al., 2006) and Jakusko et al.,(2013) Effect of inter -row spacing on some selected Cowpea varieties in Yola,
Adamawa,nigeria. Journal of agricultural and veterinary science . 2(3):30-35.
Seed treatment/ inoculation :

Rhizobium strain Source of culture

Cowpea-109 IARI, Delhi

UAS-5 UAS, Benguluru

TAL-169 UAS, Benguluru

DC-6 Navgaon, Rajasthan

GMBS-1 TNAU, Coimbatore

Note :Inoculation of cowpea with strains of UFLA03-153 ,UFLA03-164 are more efficient atmospheric nitrogen fixation than the strains
approved as inoculants ,UFLA03-84 resulting in more productivity.

Source : AICRP on MULLaRP (2006-07 and 2007-08). Thiago et al.,(2016) Rhizobia inoculation and liming increase cowpea productivity in
Maranhao State.38(3):1807-8621.

Sowing time
1)Kharif crop : May-June.
2)Rabi crop : October-November.
3)Spring Season :February-March.
Note : sowing in second fortnight of june have resulted in more yield (923 kgha) compared to that sown in july (67 kg/ha.
Source : Rima and Nabam .2013 . Impact of time and Sowing and seed rate on potential seed production and foder quality of cowpea .
Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science.4(4):61-68.
 Manure and Fertilizers

• 5-10 t/ha FYM or compost at the time of field preparation

• N: 20-25 Kg/ha
• P: 40-60 Kg/ha
• K: 40-60 Kg/ha •
Micronutrients:
• Zinc sulphate: 15-20 Kg/ha (in deficient soils) is beneficial.
• Note :Sharma and Jat (2003) recorded positive effect of sulphur upto 80 kg/ha.
Source : Baboo,R and Mishra.2004. Growth and pod formation of cowpea as affected by inoculation ,nitrogen and
Phosphorus application . Annals of agricultural Research .25(4): 467-4469.

Irrigation
Crop grown in summer needs frequent irrigations to tide over soil moisture stress.
Irrigation at 75% available soil moisture in top 30 cm soil was found benefical to achieve higher yields .
Maintain enough moisture at :
• At flowering
• Pod formation
Note :irrigation at 0.8 IW : CPE recorded significantly higher water use effiency . Anitha et al., (2003).
Source: Dr.Rajendra Prasad. 2016. Tetbook of Field Crops Production.

Weed control
• Keep field free from weeds for first 25-30 days
• Two hoeings (after sowing)
1)At 25 days 2)At 45 days
• Chemical control
• Pre-emergence application
• Oxadiazon @ 0.5 Kg/ha
• Alachor @ 1.5 Kg/ha
• Nitrofen @ 3.0 Kg/ha
Source : Dr. Rajendra Prasad. 2016. Textbook of Field Crops Production.
• Pest and their management :
• JASSIDS:
Nature of damage: The nymphs and
adults suck the sap . Leaf becomes
pale yellow ,shed leafs and growth
becomes stunted.

Management :
Spraying of
1)dimethoate @0.03%/ha
2)phosphamidon@0.03%
Notes :Application of dimethoate @ 0.03 and phosphamidon 0.03 % found to control aphids .(Choudhary et al.,2003 ).
Source: Dr.Rajendra Prasad . 2016. Textbook of Field Crops Production.
• Disease and their management :
• WILT:
Nature of damage :Affected young plants starts drooping green
leaves .
Stem show brown discolouration .

Management: Seed treatmemt

with thiram or captan @ 2.5 g/kg seed.

Source: Dr.Rajendra Prasad . 2016. Textbook of Field Crops Production

RUST:
Nature of damage :Appearance of circular reddish brown pustules
on leaves, stem and pods.

Management:
Dusting of sulphur @25kgha.

Source: Dr.Rajendra Prasad . 2016. Textbook of Field Crops Production.

Harvesting
It becomes ready to harvest at 90-105 days for short duration and 135-150 for long duration crop.
• Harvest before pods become fibrous.
• Frequent pickings at 2-3 days interval
• Yield :
• Green pod yield : 50-80 q/ha
• Grain yield: 10-15 q/ha.
• Entire plant is harvested and allowed to dry in field.
• Heaped at one place in threshing floor for drying
• Threshed by thresher or tramped and then winnowing all inert matter
• Seed is spread for drying till 10% moisture.

Source: Dr.Rajendra Prasad .2016. Textbook of Field Crops Production.

 References
Baboo,R and Mishra, 2004. Growth and pod formation of cowpea as affected by inoculation ,nitrogen and Phosphorus
application . Annals of agricultural Research .25(4): 467-4469.
Dr. Tiwari , A.K., Shivhare, A. 2016.Pulses in India Retrospect &prospects.2:1-317.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org>wiki>Cowpea.
Jakusko, B.B., Anasunda, U.I and Mustapha, A.B.2013.Effect of inter-row spacing on some selected Cowpea varities in
Yola,Adamawa state, Nigeria.IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science.2(3):30-35.
Kumar, D. Production Technology For Cowpea. All india coordinated Research Project on Arid Legumes.
Rajendra Prasad. 2016.Textbook of field crops-Foodgrain crops.

Rima, T and Nabam, A.T . 2013 . Impact of time and Sowing and seed rate on potential seed production and fodder quality of
cowpea.
Thiago , P.F., Trochamann, A., Moreira, F.M.S and Soares , B.L. 2016. Rhizobia inoculation and liming increase cowpea
productivity in Maranhao State.38(3):1807-8621.
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