Cowpea, also known as lobia or black-eyed pea, is an annual herbaceous legume crop that is drought tolerant and rich in protein. It originated in Africa but is now grown in many parts of the world, including India where the major producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. Cowpea fixes atmospheric nitrogen through root nodules and requires warm temperatures between 25-30°C and well-drained sandy to clay loam soils to thrive. Popular recommended varieties include Arka Garima, Pusa Su komal, Kashi Unnati, and Kashi Kanchan.

1. 1
PRESENTATION
ON
COWPEA - Vigna sinensis
AGRN-723 Agronomy of major Cereals & Pulses

2. COWPEA
Vigna sinensis

3. INTRODUCTION
• Botanical name :Vigna sinensis
• Family : leguminaceae
• Annual herbaceous crop
• Well develop tap root system
• Origin : Africa
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowpea

4. • It is also known as lobia and black eyed pea.
• It is rich in protein having 23-24% in its grains.
• A drought-tolerant and warm-weather crop .
• The crop is grown in Asia, USA, Australia and Europe
• In India it occupies nearly 0.5 m.ha with an average
productivity of 600-750 kg seeds/ha. The major crop
growing states are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh and parts of Madhya Pradesh.
Source – Crop Management (2010) by S.S. Singh

5. Has the useful ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen through
its root nodules.
Source- http://agritech.tnau.ac.in

6. Nutrient content
(Per 100g of edible portion)
i. Water : 11%
ii. Protein : 23.4%
iii. Fat : 1.8%
iv. Carbohydrate : 63.3%
v. Calcium : 76mg
vi. Iron : 5.7mg
Source - https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/cowpeas.

7. Soil and Climatic Requirements
a) Soil-
It 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
b) Temperature -
25°c - 30°c (during germination)
35°c ( during active growth and flowering)
Temperature below 20℃ is not good for better growth of the crop.
Source - http://agriinfo.in

8. Recommended Varieties
Arka Garima:
Derived through back cross and pure line selection from TUV 762 x V.unguiculata. Plants vigorous,
bushy, with purple flowers. Pods round and thick, fleshy and stringless. Tolerant to heat and
drought. Yield 18 q/ha in 90 days.
Pusa Su komal:
Crosses between photoinsensitive line P85-2 and photosensitive P426. Plants bushy, flowers in 45
days. Pods light green, 25-30 cm long. Resistant to bacterial blight. Yield 10 q/ha.

9. Kashi unnati:
Pure line selection from TUV 762 . This is a photo-insensitive variety. Plants of this variety are
dwarf and bushy, height 40-50 cm, branches 4-5 per plant, early flowering (30-35 days after
sowing), first harvesting at 40-45 days after sowing, produces 40-45 pods per plant. Pods are
30-35 cm long, light green, soft, fleshy and free from parchment. gives green pod yield of
about 125-150 q/ ha.For cultivation in Punjab, U.P., and Jharkhand.
Kashi Kanchan:
Developed by Indian Institute of Vegetable research, Varanasi. This is dwarf and bush type
(height 50-60 cm), photo-insensitive, early flowering (40-45 days after sowing) and early
picking (50-55 days after sowing) variety suitable for growing in both spring-summer and rainy
seasons. Pods are about 30-35 cm long, dark green, soft, fleshy and free from parchment. The
cultivar gives green pod yield of about 15-17 q/ ha for cultivation in U.P., Punjab, Bihar,
Chhattisagarh, Orissa, A.P., M.P. and states.
Vyjayanthi :
Pure line selection from KMV 1. Trailing growth habit, long wine red coloured pods, brown
seeds, Average Length of pod 50.62 cm. Avearge fruit weight 16.17 g. No. of seeds/pod 20-22.
Productivity 12.6 q/ha
Source - http://www.ccari.res.in/dss/vegetable%20cowpea.html

10. Land Preparation
Cowpea can be grown in all types of soil. But sandy and
sandy loam soils are best suited for it. The soil should be
rich in organic matter. The land is prepared by giving four
to five ploughing.
Source - http://agriinfo.in

11. Sowing of Seed
a) Time of Sowing:
The time of sowing varies according to type of crop.
i. Kharif crop: May – June.
ii. Rabi crop: October- November.
b) Seed Rate: 20 to 25 kg/ha.
c) Method of Sowing:
The seed is sown by dibbling method in flat beds with row to row spacing of
30-45 cm
Source – Handbook of Agriculture

12. Nutrient Requirement
Apply fertilizers basal before sowing.
Rainfed : 12.5 kg N + 25 kg P2O5 + 12.5 kg K2O +10 kg S/ha
Irrigated : 25 kg N + 50 kg P2O5 + 25 kg K2O + 20 kg S/ha
Soil application of 25 kg ZnSo4/ha under irrigated condition
Source - http://agritech.tnau.ac.in

13. Irrigation
Crop require irrigation at
i. Branching (30-35 DAS)
ii. Before Flowering (65-70 DAS)
iii. Pod Filling Stage (85-100 DAS)
Avoid water stagnation at all stages
Source – Crop Management (2010) by S.S. Singh

14. Weed control
Pre emergence application of Pendimethalin 2 liters on 3 days after
sowing using Knapsack sprayer. After this, one hand weeding on
30 days after sowing gives weed free environment throughout the
crop period.
If herbicides are not applied give two hand
weedings on 15 and 30 days after sowing.
It covers the land very soon and kill the
weeds by smoothing. In early stage of
growth, one weeding has been found
beneficial to this crop.
Source - http://agritech.tnau.ac.in

15. Harvesting
The crop becomes ready for harvesting in 90 to 105 days for short
duration crop and 135 to 150 days for long duration crop.
Frequently tender pods should be harvested before they become
fibrous. The plant is harvested for fodder or is used as green
manure, when they are bearing flowers.
Moisture content reduced up to 8-9% for safe storage of grains
An ideal crop of one hectare produce 15-20 q/ha grain
Source - http://agriinfo.in

16. Health Benefits of Cowpea
• Cowpeas can keep our cholesterol level remarkably low. It is an
excellent source of soluble dietary fibre and protein, which play
significant role in decreasing the amount of bad cholesterol present
in the plasma of our blood.
• Being high in soluble fibre, cow pea works as a great solution for
diabetic conditions. It can regulate our blood sugar levels
• Cowpeas are useful in eliminating urination problems, such as
uneasiness or obstructions.
• They are low-fat, low-calorie beans, which are extremely beneficial
for weight loss. The sodium content of the vegetable is also very
low. Moreover, cowpeas are absolutely cholesterol-free.
Source - http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-cowpeas-for-skin-hair-and-health/

17. References
• Singh, S.S. (2010). Crop Management. Kalyani Publishers
Ludhiana, pp 201-202.
• Handbook of Agriculture (2013). Indian council of agricultural
research, New Delhi. pp 1114 – 1115.
• Internet Sources -
http://agritech.tnau.ac.in
http://www.stylecraze.com
http://agriinfo.in
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowpea