Cowpea is an annual herbaceous legume crop that is well adapted to dry environments. Its botanical name is Vigna unguiculata and it is native to Central Africa or India. India is a major producer of cowpeas, growing them for their green pods, grains, and fodder. Cowpeas are used for human and animal nutrition, as a green manure crop, and for erosion control. They fix nitrogen in the soil. The crop requires warm temperatures between 25-35°C and 300-400mm of rainfall. Common cowpea varieties grown in India include Pusa Sampada, Pusa Rashmai, and Rambha. Cowpea is

1. COWPEA
SUBMITTED BY
M. Vinekar RAM /16-07.
M.Shravan RAM /16-03.

2. INTRODUCTION
• Botanical name :Vigna unguiculata (L)
• Family : Fabaceae
• Annual herbaceous crop
 Commonly called as black eyed pea,, China
pea, marble pea
Well developed tap root system
• Origin : Central Africa or India

4. COWPEA
Vigna unguiculata (L)

5. • well adapted to relatively dry environments
- India, Southeast Asia, Africa, Southern
Europe and Central and South America
• Africa 1st in area and production followed by Nigeria .
India - It is grown in small areas throughout the country for
green pods as vegetable, grain and fodder purposes
•Global production is around 5.5 Mt from an area of14.5 M ha.
•India accounts for 0.5 M t from around 1.5 M ha.
•Average productivity in India is 600 to 750 kg/ha.where as in world
it is 450 kg/ha .
•Grown all over India, more particularly in Central and Peninsular
India. Karnataka, Maharastra, M.P ,Bihar , etc are major states.

6. Uses
• As a nutritional supplement to cereals and an
extender of animal proteins
• The tender green leaves are prepared as a pot
herb, like spinach
• Green cowpea seeds, Dry mature seeds are
boiled as a fresh vegetable, canned ,frozen
• used green or as dry fodder
• a green manure crop, or as cover crop for
erosion control
• N –Fixer .

7. Cultivated forms of Cowpea
• Sub genus : Vigna
Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp.
(1) Sub –species : unguiculata
cultivars can be roughly grouped into 4
cultivar groups
(a) cv.gr. biflora and ( b) cv.gr. catjang
These bear small seeded erect pods and are
grown mostly in south and south –east Asia.
(c) cv.gr. sesquipedalis
Also called yard long bean or asparagus bean .Very
long drooping pods eaten as green vegetable

8. • cv.gr. textilis :These are very long ,stout peduncles
,which are used for extracting textile fibre .
(2) Sub-species :dekentiana
var. dekentiana : Most common wild form .
var. menensis : Large flowers and long calyx lobes.
var. pubescens: Short pubescence on leaves and
stalks .
var.protracta : Small leaf let with long inflorescence.
(3) Sub –species :tennis : Small glabrescent lobed
leaflets .
(4) Sub –species :stenophylla :Small glabrescent
lobed leaflets .

9. Morphology
• Growing 15-80 cm high
• Roots : Very strong tap root system
• Stem : Is mostly procumbent often tinged with purple colour .
• Leaves :- Alternate, trifoliate ,with petioles 5-25 cm long .The
lateral leaflets are opposite and asymmetrical ,central leaflet is
symmetrical .
• Leaflets are ovoid to rhombic in shape ,may be entirely or
slightly lobed ,with acute apex .
• Inflorescence-Raceme.
• Seed : Globular to reniform ,smooth and wrinkled
• Seed colour varies from red , black ,brown , green white to
buff white . Seeds may be fully coloured or spotted ,marbled
,speckled ,eyed ,or blotched .

10. • Flower- White, cream, yellow, mauve or purple.
• Pods -10-23 cm long with 10-15 seeds/pod.
• Seed : Globular to reniform ,smooth and wrinkled.
• Seed colour varies from red , black ,brown , green
white to buff white . Seeds may be fully coloured or
spotted ,marbled ,speckled ,eyed ,or blotched .

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

12. Soils
 Cowpea grown on a wide range of soils -sandy loam to
clay soils ranging from acidic to basic
(pH 4.5 - 8.0).
 The primary soil requirements are good drainage and
presence of nitrogen fixing bacteria
 Sandy to clay loam soils with well drained conditions and
having the pH of 6 to 7 are best suited for getting good yields.
The crop is moderately susceptible to soil salinity

13. Climatic requirement
• Requires 300 to 400 mm.
• It tolerates heat and dry conditions and
susceptible to waterlogging .
• Temperature : 25°C – 35°C.
• It is senisitive to cold and frost
• The optimal photoperiod for induction of
flowering is 8 to 14 hrs.

14. Land Preparation
• One ploughing followed by a harrowing
ensures good weed control and a suitable
seed bed
• It depends on the season , soil type etc.

15. Seed rate
25 - 30 kg/ha (for grain purpose ) and
40 kg /ha ( fodder purpose ).
Seed treatment with Captan or Thiram @ 2.5 gm/kg
seed .
Rhizobium strains Cowpea 109,
TAL 169,DC 6,GMBS 1.
Spacing :
45X10 cm when sowing is done at optimum time
,,under late sown conditions spacing of 30x10 cm is
recommended .
For spreading types -45 X 10 -15 cm and
for non –spreading types 30 X 5 -15 cm .

16. • Time of planting
Generally as kharif crop . But in cropping
systems in rabi also it is cultivated .
Plant cowpea when there is sufficient soil
moisture for germination.
Kharif – Depending on the onset of monsoon
Early June- end of July.
Rabi –October to November.
summer :Before April.

17. Recommended Varieties
• Traditional var. are shy bearers and susceptible to viral and bact. Diseases.
Highly photosensitive, late maturing with viny growth habit(indeterminate
• For grain, recommended varieties are NP 2,NP 7, C 32,
T 1,K 11 and K 14.
• For fodder purpose- Russian giant,T 2,
K 397, C 22 and C 55.
• For Vegetable – Pusa Phalguni, Pusa Barsati, and FS 68.
• As the grain types are shy bearers and late maturing,
through breeding Programmes - Short duration, high
yielding disease resistant varieties viz. C 9, C 10, C 13,
C 152 etc were developed.
Pusa barsathi – Rainy season ,
Pusa phalguni –Summer ,
Pusa dofsali – Both seasons.

18. Recommended Varieties
State Varieties
Tamilnadu Co 6, Vamban, Co 5, paiyur 1, Co Vu 702
Kerala Krishnamani, Kanakamani
Undevided A.P Pusa barsathi ,Pusa phalguni ,Pusa dofasli,GC2,JC 5,Co 2,
Co 3 , Paiyur 1.
Karnataka Subhadra, KBC 2, S 488
Maharashtra Durga kranthi, Pusa Swarna
Madhya Pradesh Pusa Sampada(V 585), Pusa Rashmai,UPC 9202,8705,
GC 3, Pusa 152
Gujarat Pusa Sampada(V 585), V 240,GC 5, GC 4, GC 2,GC 3,
Rajasthan Pusa Sampada(V 585), Pusa Rashmai, Rambha(V 240)
UPC 9202, UPC 8705, UPC 607, Shubra, RC 101, RC 19
Bihar Pusa Sampada(V 585), Pusa Rashmai, Rambha(V 240),
P 152
U.P Pusa Sampada(V 585), Pusa Rashmai, Rambha(V 240)
UPC 9202, UPC 8705, UPC 607, Shubra, UPC 4200

19. Planting method
• Rain-fed
– flat
–raised beds
• Plant manually or with a row seeder on ridges
or flat beds depending on field drainage
• Plant one plant /hill
Indeterminate Types : 45- 90 cm( Seed rate- 10
to 20 Kg ha-1

20. Crop Management

21. Fertilizer
Highly responsive
Basal
FYM @ 5 to 10 t/ha .
N -20-25 kg/ha
P -30 to 40 kg/ha
K -20 -25 kg/ha
Balanced application of 25 – 50 -25 kg/ha of
N-P-K improves the performance of crop.

22. Water management
• Around 300 to 400 mm
• 1 or 2 at critical stages in the case of monsoon
failure for kharif crop . Summer crop needs
frequent irrigation.
• IW /CPE ratio of 1.5 with 60 mm water per
irrigation recorded more than double the
yield of crop irrigated at seeding , flowering
and pod development stages ..

23. Weed control
• Upto 75 % losses if left like that .
• Critical period : 10 to 40 DAE of crop.
• Clean cultivation , use of weed free seeds ,
optimum plant population
• one hand weeding at 30 DAS , and
one inter cultivation reduces the weeds
• Herbicides :
Pre emergence application Pendimethalin @0.75
kg a.i. /ha
PPI of Fluchloralin @ 1 kg a.i./ha

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
green snaps 45-60 days after planting
 green-mature 60-90 days after planting
Dry 90-110 days after planting
• Depend on
Temperature
• Use mechanically harvesters and manually

26. Post harvest technology
• Dry cowpea seed
 Cleaned
 graded
 fumigated
 packed in small plastic bags for sale to
consumers
• Moisture content reduced up to 8-9% safe
storage

27. Pest and diseases
Diseases
Collar rot (Pythium aphanidermatum
Rhizoctonia sp, Selerotium rolfsii ,Fusariam)
• Control
i. soil drench with coc @ 3 gm /litre .
ii. Avoid continuous cropping of cowpea on
the same field
iii. Avoid excessive N2 application.

28. Collar rot in cowpea

29. Web blight - Rhizoctonia solani
Symptoms
• Small circular reddish brown spots on leaves
• Mycelia of Rhizoctonia solani are visible on the
under surface of leaves young stems
Control
1. Use disease free seed
2. Avoid dense planting
3. Use fungicides like Mancozeb @ 2. gm /l or
carbendazim @ 3 gm/litre of water

30. web blight

31. Cowpea yellow mosaic virus
Symptoms
Leaf symptoms vary from green mottle to severe
mosaic
Leaf distortion blistering and plant death
Control
1. Use resistant cultivars.
2. Plant disease free seeds.
3. Control vectors with insecticides like Acephate
@ 1.5 gm /litre 0r Monocrotophos @ 1.6 ml/ litre

32. Cowpea yellow mosaic virus

33. Other diseases
Anthracnose
Fungal wilt

34. PESTS
• Leaf hoppers
-Dimethioate 40% E.C 2ml/litre water.
-Acephate @ 1. 5 gm /litre .
• Pod borers
- Chlorpyriphos @ 2.5 ml/litre .
spinosad @ 0.3 ml /litre .

35. Cont’d
Leaf hopper Pod borer
Aphids

36. Cont’d
• Aphids
• Scale bugs
• Mealy bugs
Dimethoate 910 - 1820 ml
Scale bugs Mealy bugs

37. Cowpea cropping systems
Grown as sole crop or Inter cropping or Mixed
cropping or Sequence cropping with other crops.
It is grown as intercrop in most of the kharif crops
A significant control of Cyperus rotundus and higher
net profit in Maize + Cowpea –Potato +Mustard
sequence has been reported
Inter cropping systems :
• Sorghum + Cowpea
• Maize + Cowpea
• Pearl millet +Cowpea
• Pigeon pea + Cowpea

38. Cropping sequences of cowpea followed in India
Rice –Wheat – Cowpea
Pearl millet –Wheat –Cowpea
Red gram - Wheat – Cowpea
Rice –Rice – Cowpea
Sorghum – Red gram –Cowpea
Cowpea – Wheat – G. gram
Maize – Potato – Cowpea
Rice – Mustard – Cowpea
Maize – Potato – Wheat – Cowpea ( fodder)
Cowpea –Cotton – Wheat

39. Effect of Herbicides on WD , WDW,at harvest ,green fodder
yield and crude total protein yield
Treatment Dose
( kg
/ha )
Weed
density
( No/m2)
Weed dry
weight
(g/m2)
Maize
green
fodder
yield
(t /ha )
Cowpea
green
fodder
yield
( t/ha)
Total
crude
protein
yield
(kg /ha)
Atrazine 1.0 108 26.0 22.6 0 698
Pendimethalin 1.0 89 15.5 15.0 12.8 996
Alachlor 1.0 76 10.3 16.0 14.3 1031
Metalachlor 1.0 43 6.9 17.7 14.9 1065
Butachlor 1.0 94 12.5 15.0 13.6 1023
Oxyflourfen 1.0 107 23.6 19.5 7.8 849
Fluchloralin 1.0 116 19.6 15.5 11.3 897

40. Effect of Herbicides on WD , WDW,at harvest ,green fodder
yield and crude total protein yield
Treatment Dose
( kg
/ha )
Weed
density
( No/m2)
Weed
dry
weight
(g/m2)
Maize
green
fodder
yield
(t /ha )
Cowpea
green
fodder
yield
( t/ha)
Total
crude
protein
yield
(kg /ha)
Hand weeding 123 22.8 12.4 11.5 857
Inter
cultivation
143 24.4 10.6 10.3 833
Weedy 198 41.7 7.6 9.7 766
LSD (P=0.05) 59 18.1 2.5 2.7 24
Source :IJ Weed science ,2005 Laxmi praveen et al ,2000 , ANGRAU ,Hyd.

41. Effect of potassium and cobalt levels on growth
parameters and seed yield of cowpea
Treatment Effective
nodules
/Plant
Dry matter
accumulation
/plant (g)
Pods
/plant
Test
weight (g)
Seed
yield
(q/ha)
Potassium levels (kg /ha )
K -0 16.2 4.8 14.7 74.4 7.8
K-10 18.3 5.8 15.5 75.3 8.6
K-20 18.8 6.3 15.7 76.0 9.1
SE mean 0.456 0.09 0.25 0.32 0.20
C.D
(p=0.05)
1.46 0.30 0.81 1.06 0.67

42. Effect of potassium and cobalt levels on growth
parameters and seed yield of cowpea
Treatment Effective
nodules
/Plant
Dry matter
accumulation
/plant (g)
Pods
/plant
Test
weight (g)
Seed
yield
(q/ha)
Cobalt levels (mg /kg )
M -0 15.0 5.1 14.8 74.6 7.8
M -250 18.1 5.6 15.3 75.3 8.6
M -500 20.0 6.2 15.7 75.7 9.0
SE mean 0.27 0.08 0.16 0.25 0.16
C.D
(p=0.05)
0.79 o.23 0.46 0.73 0.46
Source : IJ of Pulses ,2005 Balai et al , RAU campus ,2002 -03
,Jobner , Rajasthan .

43. Effect of irrigation schedule and genotypes on yield ,WUE
,WEE, and water extraction pattern of Cowpea
Treatments Seed yield ( kg /ha) Haulm yield ( kg /ha )
IW /CPE 0.6 1310 3914
0.8 1524 4624
1.0 1640 5099
C.D at 5 % 53 153
GC 2 1533 4544
GC 4 1704 5146
Pusa Falguni 1238 3950
C.D at 5 % 69 153

44. Effect of irrigation schedule and genotypes on yield ,WUE
,WEE, and water extraction pattern of Cowpea
Treatments Consumptive
use (mm)
WUE
(kg /ha –mm)
WEE
(kg /ha –mm)
IW /CPE 0.6 310.9 4.21 3.73
0.8 379.3 4.02 3.39
1.0 432.0 3.80 2.98
GC 2 373.3 4.11 3.41
GC 4 389.9 4.37 3.79
Pusa Falguni 358.5 3.46 2.76
Source : IJ of Food Legumes,2008 Patel et al ,2006 ,Sardarkrishinagar ,Gujarath

45. Effect of FYM and P application on grain yield ,stover
yield ,protein content and protein yield of cowpea .
Treatment Grain yield
(kg /ha )
Stover yield
(kg /ha)
Protein (%) Protein
yield
( kg /ha )
FYM level (t /ha )
0 731 2083 21.14 158.9
5 840 2296 21.7 186.0
10 917 2456 22.14 207.2
15 938 2486 22.27 214.0
SE mean 18.5 46.7 0.18 1.15
CD (P=0.05) 53.3 134.0 0.52 3.70

46. Effect of FYM and P application on grain yield ,stover
yield ,protein content and protein yield of cowpea .
Treatment Grain yield
(kg /ha )
Stover yield
(kg /ha)
Protein (%) Protein
yield
( kg /ha )
Phosphorus level (t /ha )
0 572 2014 20.84 123.0
20 815 2175 21.97 186.1
40 1004 2531 22.10 223.1
60 1035 2561 22.34 234.1
SE mean 18.5 46.7 0.18 1.25
CD (P=0.05) 53.3 134.0 0.52 3.70
Source : IJ of Pulses ,2005 Vikranth et al ,2002 and 03,CCHAU ,Hisar ,Haryana.
.

47. Effect of fertility levels and foliar nutrition on Cowpea
productivity
Treatment Pods/plant Seeds/pod Test weight Grain yield
(kg/ha)
H .I
Fertility levels (N-P)
Control 6.1 6.1 80.3 876 32.1
50 % RDF 7.4 7.2 88.8 1114 34.3
75 %RDF 8.1 7.9 90.5 1256 34.7
100 % RDF 8.6 8.5 91.5 1337 34.9
CD(P=0.05) 0.4 0.6 6.9 52 1.9
Foliar spray
Water spray 6.3 6.8 85.5 990 32.1
2 % Urea spray 8.0 7.7 88.1 1189 34.7
2 % DAP spray 8.3 7.8 90.1 1227 34.7
2 % KCL spray 7.6 7.5 87.4 1177 34.6
CD (P=0.05) 0.4 0.6 NS 52 1.9
Source : IJ of Food Legumes 2011 Choudary et al ,,2009,Jaipur ,Rajasthan

48. Effect of irrigation levels and varieties on seed yield
,haulm yield ,net realization and B:C ratio in cowpea
Treatment Seed yield
(kg /ha )
Haulm
yield
(kg /ha )
Cost of
cultivation
(Rs/ha)
Net returns
(Rs/ha)
BCR
Irrigation levels ( IW /CPE ) ratio
0.6 1310 3914 8904 10730 2.21
0.8 1524 4624 9538 13377 2.40
1.0 1640 5099 10172 14607 2.44
SE mean 19 55
CD
(P=0.05)
59 153

49. Effect of irrigation levels and varieties on seed yield
,haulm yield ,net realization and B:C ratio in cowpea
Treatment Seed yield
(kg /ha )
Haulm
yield
(kg /ha )
Cost of
cultivation
(Rs/ha)
Net returns
(Rs/ha)
BCR
Varieties
GC 2 1533 4544 9538 13407 2.41
GC 4 1704 5746 9538 16056 2.68
Pusa
Falguni
1238 3950 9538 9268 1.97
SE mean 19 55
CD
(P=0.05)
53 153
Sources : IJ of Pulses ,2005 . Patel et al ,2000,PRS
,Sardarkrishinagar,Gujarath.