Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.)
Importance
- Known as “vegetable meat” due to high protein.
- Multipurpose crop: pulse, fodder, vegetable, green manure, cover crop.
- Short duration, drought hardy → suitable for rainfed & dryland areas.
- Improves soil fertility (fixes 70–190 kg N/ha).
- Important crop in India, Africa, USA, and Brazil.
Origin: Africa (Ethiopia/Central Africa) → later spread to India.
Nutritional Value
- Protein: 24%
- Carbohydrates: 60%
- Fat: 1.5%
- Rich in Ca, P, Fe, Vit A, Vit B complex.
- Cowpea seeds are more digestible compared to other pulses.
Area & Production (India)
- Area: ~1.5–2.0 million ha
- Major States: Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala.
- Also grown in NE states as vegetable type.
Botanical Description
- Family: Leguminosae (Papilionaceae)
- Chromosome no.: 2n = 22
- Pollination: Self-pollinated (some cross pollination)
- Root: Deep tap root system, nodulated.
- Stem: Trailing/erect/climbing depending on variety.
- Leaves: Trifoliate, large.
- Flowers: Papilionaceous, white/purple.
- Pods: 20–30 cm, 10–20 seeds, various colors.
Classification
- Grain cowpea (pulse type) – small seeded, erect type.
- Vegetable cowpea (yard-long bean) – long tender pods.
- Forage cowpea – trailing type, used as fodder/green manure.
Agronomic Practices
Aspect | Details |
Season | Kharif, Summer, Rabi (in south India) |
Sowing Time | Kharif: June–July |
Seed Rate | 20–25 kg/ha (grain) |
Spacing | 30 × 10 cm (grain) |
Depth | 3–4 cm |
Fertilizer | 20–25 kg N + 40–60 kg P₂O₅ /ha (starter dose, rest fixed by Rhizobium) |
Irrigation | Rainfed mostly; 2–3 irrigations in summer (flowering & pod filling critical) |
Duration | 70–90 days (grain) |
Yield | Grain: 8–12 q/ha |
Cropping Systems
- Intercropping: Cowpea + Sorghum, Cowpea + Bajra, Cowpea + Cotton, Cowpea + Maize.
- Rotation: Maize–Cowpea, Sorghum–Cowpea, Rice–Cowpea (as fodder/green manure).
- Green manure: Incorporated after 40–45 DAS.
Weed Management
- Critical period: 20–40 DAS.
- Pre-emergence: Pendimethalin (1.0 kg a.i./ha) + 1 hand weeding.
Varieties
Grain type
- Pusa Komal (vegetable, YMV resistant).
- Pusa Phalguni (short duration).
- Pusa Barsati.
- V-16, V-118.
Vegetable type (yard-long bean)
- Arka Garima, Arka Samrudhi.
- Kashi Kanchan (IIVR).
Forage type; UPC-287, UPC-5286, Bundel Lobia-1.
Key ASRB/NET Points
- Origin: Central Africa.
- Chromosome number: 2n = 22.
- Pollination: Mostly self, 5–10% cross-pollination.
- Duration: 70–90 days (grain).
- N fixation: 70–190 kg N/ha.
- Seed rate: 20–25 kg/ha (grain).
- Protein: 24%.
- Critical irrigation: Flowering & pod filling.
- Major disease: Yellow Mosaic Virus (YMV).
- Cowpea is considered the “Vegetable meat of the tropics” due to high protein and versatility.
