CropStraightforward
Cowpea
Vigna unguiculata unguic. L
Temperature
20°C to 35°C
Rainfall
291mm to 889mm per season
Conditions
What it needs
Soil
Sandy, well-drained soils. Fixes its own nitrogen, so it does well where fertiliser is scarce.
Water
Genuinely drought tolerant. More at risk from waterlogging than from a dry spell.
What you will need
Tick what you already have; Grow carries the rest into the cost working.
Grow holds no supplier listings and no local prices, so it cannot tell you where to buy these or what they cost near you. Ask at your nearest agrodealer or extension office, then put those figures into the planner.
Through the season
Stages
- 01
Land preparation
10 days- Clear and prepare a fine seedbed
- 02
Planting
2 days- Sow at correct spacing
- Apply phosphate
- 03
Vegetative growth
30 days- Weed early
- Scout for aphids
- 04
Flowering and podding
25 days- Monitor for pod borer
- Avoid disturbing flowers
- 05
Harvest and drying
18 days- Harvest pods as they dry
- Dry fully before storing
Watch for
Common problems
Pod borer
- What you will see
- Holes in pods, damaged and hollowed seeds.
- What to do
- Scout at flowering, when damage begins. Early planting and intercropping reduce pressure.
Aphids
- What you will see
- Clusters of small insects on shoots, curled leaves, sticky honeydew.
- What to do
- Encourage natural enemies. Soap solution works on small plots. Avoid routine spraying.
Bruchid weevils in storage
- What you will see
- Round exit holes in stored grain, powder at the bottom of the bag.
- What to do
- Dry thoroughly, then store in hermetic bags. Sealed storage starves the weevils of oxygen.
Follow the label for doses, and ask an extension officer or vet before using a chemical you have not used before.