What is the maturity period of cowpea?

What is the maturity period of cowpea?

Cowpea can be harvested at three different stages of maturity: green snaps, green-mature, and dry. Depending on temperature, fresh-market (green-mature) peas are ready for harvest 16 to 17 days after bloom (60 to 90 days after planting). Harvest date for green snap pods is normally specified by the processor.

How do you know when cow peas are ready to harvest?

Harvesting. Cultivars of cowpeas and yardlong beans vary in their tendency to shatter (when the fruits split to disperse seeds). The pods are mature enough to harvest once they have begun to turn yellow, but if they are monitored carefully to avoid shattering, they can be left on the plants until they are tan and dry.

Is cowpea an annual crop?

Description of the plant The cowpea Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. is an annual herbaceous legume cultivated for its edible seeds or for fodder. Cultivated cowpeas are herbaceous annuals that are either erect, prostrate or climbing annuals with a tap root and virtually all are glabrous.

What is the best fertilizer for cowpeas?

Apply a balanced fertilizer at planting time, such as 250 pounds of 13-13-13 or 200 pounds of 19-19-19 per acre. No additional fertilizer should be required after this.

What is the plant spacing for cowpea?

The recommended spacing for cowpea is 75 × 20 cm with two seeds planted per stand. This corresponds to plant population of 133333 plants ha−1, which may not be sufficient for optimal cowpea yield.

Do cowpeas need trellis?

Vining varieties are very vigorous and drought resistant, but they should be given extra room, or trellised, or planted so they can climb stalks of dent corn.

What do you do with fresh picked cowpeas?

Starts here9:50Growing and Harvesting Cowpeas|AKA Black Eyed PeasYouTube

What month do you plant purple hull peas?

Sow your first purple hull peas in April or May — whenever air temperatures are reliably above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and soil temperatures are above 60 degrees. For a continued harvest, sow peas every two weeks. Purple hulls are bush-type legumes that appreciate a support structure such as stakes or tepee trellises.

Why are cowpeas called cowpeas?

The first written reference of the word ‘cowpea’ appeared in 1798 in the United States. The name was most likely acquired due to their use as a fodder crop for cows. Black-eyed pea, a common name used for the unguiculata cultivar group, describes the presence of a distinctive black spot at the hilum of the seed.

Can cowpeas grow in shade?

Cowpeas tolerate shade, and can be planted near taller crops. They are also drought resistant. Cowpeas’ roots also access phosphorus that may be limited in the soil. And, their quick growth and rapid ground cover prevent soil erosion.

Can cowpeas be used as feed for livestock?

Since they are highly valuable as food, cowpeas are only occasionally used to feed livestock but the hay and silage can be an important fodder. Cowpea has great flexibility in use: farmers can choose to harvest them for grains or to harvest forage for their livestock, depending on economical or climatological constraints ( Gomez, 2004 ).

What are the best crop varieties for cowpeas?

When it comes to variety selection for cowpeas, you will need to check with your local farm supply to see what is available. Common selections may include Iron-and-Clay, Thorsby Cream, and Catjang. Cowpeas can also be mixed with other crops to help protect them from early overgrazing.

What is the main preharvest pest of cowpea?

The legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata, is the main preharvest pest of the cowpea. Other important pests include pod sucking bugs, thrips, and the postharvest cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus. M. vitrata causes the most damage to the growing cowpea due to their large host range and cosmopolitan distribution.

Where does cowpea grow?

In other areas, notably in Australia and Asia, cowpea is primarily a fodder crop and used for green manure or as a cover crop ( Tarawali et al., 1997 ). Cowpea grows in savannah vegetation at temperatures ranging from 25°C to 35°C and in areas where annual rainfall ranges from 750 mm to 1100 mm ( Madamba et al., 2006 ).