This document provides information about cowpea cultivation. Cowpea is an important food legume crop that is well adapted to relatively dry environments. It fixes atmospheric nitrogen through root nodules and grows well in poor soils. The document discusses cowpea's origin, distribution, climatic and soil requirements, recommended varieties, cultivation practices including land preparation, sowing, nutrient management, harvesting and yield. Key recommended varieties are MI 35, Wijaya, Waruni, Dhawala and Bombay which differ in growth habit, flower and pod color, and disease resistance. Cowpea is planted during yala and maha seasons using various spacing and methods depending on soil drainage.

1. DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER
TOPIC :COW PEA
UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
Subject Name : Crop Production Technology-1
Code : AGT-201

2. 2
COW PEA
CO
Number
Title Level
CO1 The students will learn about the different crops grown
in the respective
season.
Understand
CO2 The students will be able to demonstrate the cultivation
of crops with recent advances and technologies adopted
by the farmers.
Understand
Course Outcome

3. Contents
• Introduction
• Origin & Distribution
• Climatic Requirement
• Soil Requirement
• Land Preparation
• Sowing & Methods of planting
• Nutrient Management
• Water Management
• Plant protection
• Harvesting and Threshing
• Yield
3

4. INTRODUCTION
• Botnical name :Vigna unguiculata(L)
• Family : Febaceae
• Annual herbaceous crop
• Well develop tap root system
• Origin : Africa

5. Cont’d
• well adapted to relatively dry environments
- Asia, Africa, southern Europe and Central and
South America
• In Sri Lanka
- Hambantota, Ratnapura, Badulla,
Monaragala, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Puttlum,
Batticalo, System 'H', Ampara, Polonnaruwa

6. Cont’d
• One of the most important food
legume crops
• A drought-tolerant and warm-weather crop
• Has the useful ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen
through its root nodules

7. Cont’d
• Grows well in poor soils with
-more than 85% sand
-less than 0.2% organic matter
-low levels of phosphorus

8. Morphology
• Growing 15-80 cm high
• Leaves
- alternate, trifoliate
with petioles 5-25 cm long
-The lateral leaflets are opposite and
asymmetrical
-central leaflet is symmetrical
• Inflorescence
-raceme

9. Cont’d
• Flowers
- white, cream, yellow, mauve or purple
• Pods
-10-23 cm long with 10-15 seeds/pod
• Seeds
-variable in size and shape,
square to oblong and variously
coloured, including white, brown,
maroon, cream and green

10. Nutritive content
(Per 100g of edible portion)
• Water : 11%
• Protein : 23.4%
• Fat : 1.8%
• Carbohydrate : 63.3%
• Calcium : 76mg
• Iron : 5.7mg

11. Climatic Requirement
• Soil-Can be grown on a wide range of soil
- sandy loam to clay ranging from acidic to basic (pH
4.5 - 8.0)
-Sandy to clay loam soil and well drained with a (pH of 6-7
)
• Cowpea are highly sensitive to water logging
• Temperature -20°c - 30°c

12. Recommended Varieties
• MI 35
• Wijaya
• Waruni
• Dhawala
• Bombay

13. MI 35
• Exhibits semi-erect growth habit
• Flowers are white in colour
• Pods are borne about the canopy
• Seeds are small and pure cream in colour
• susceptible to collar rot disease

14. Wijaya
• Erect and determinate growth
• Flowers are bluish purple in colour
• Pods are long pendulous and dark green
• Seeds are large and light brown in colour
• Resistance to collar rot disease

15. Waruni
• Erect and determinate growth habit
• It has bluish purple flowers
• It bears long pendulous dark green pods
• Medium sized seeds and reddish brown
in colour

16. Dhawala
• Semi erect growth habit
• Flowers are white in colour
• Pods are pendulous and green in colour
• Seed are large and cream coloured with a black eye
• Variety Dhawala is suitable for planting in will drained
paddy lands during yala season

17. Bombay
• Erect growth habit
• Flowers are purple in colour
• It posses dark green pigmented long and
pendulous pods
• seed are large and speckled grey brown in colour
• Bombay cowpea in suitable for cultivation in Maha
season in rainfed uplands

18. Land Preparation
• One ploughing followed by a harrowing ensures
good weed control and a suitable seed bed

19. • Seed rate
35 - 40 kg/ha
• Time of planting
Plant cowpea when there is sufficient soil
moisture for germination

20. Season of planting
• Yala -
April
• Maha -
(Irrigated)
( Rainfed )
End of October- Mid November

21. Planting method
• Rain-fed plant
– flat
–raised beds
• Plant manually or with a row seeder on ridges or flat
beds depending on field drain age
• Plant one plant /hill
• spacing30 cm
15 cm
rows
plants

22. Crop Management

23. Fertilizer
• Basal
N2 30 kg/ha (urea 35 kg/ha-1)
P2O5 45kg/ha (Triple super
phosphate
100kg/ha-1)
K2O 45kg/ha (Muriate of portash
75 kg/ha-1)
• Top dressing
30kg/ha of urea at onset of flowering

24. Pruning
• When cowpea is grown on very fertile soil or when
irrigation is excessive during the vegetative phase
• Irrigation should be reduced or vine pruned

25. Harvesting
• Harvested at three different stages of maturity
• 45-60 days after planting 60-90 days after planting 90-110 days after
planting
green snaps
 green-mature
Dry
• Depend on
Temperature
• Use mechanically harvesters and manually

26. REFERENCES
• CHHIDDA SINGH, 2003, Modern Techniques of Raising Field Crops,
Oxford & IBHPubl. Co., New Delhi.
• DAS, N.R., 2007, Introduction to Crops of India, Scientific Publ., Jodhpur.
• GOPAL CHANDRA DE, 2008, Fundamentals of Agronomy, Oxford & IBH
Publ. Co.,New Delhi.
• GUPTHA, V. K., 2002, Diseases of Field Crops, Indus Publ. Co., NewDelhi.
• RATHORE, P.S., 2002, Techniques and Management of Field Crop
Production, Agrobios(India), Jodhpur.

27. THANK YOU
For queries
Email: asma.e9423@cumail.in
For queries
Email: asma.e9423@cumail.in