Cowpea production technology 31.10.2018

1. Advances in Seed Production technology of Cowpea
Dr. T .S . Aghora ,
Principal Scientist
Division of Vegetable Crops
Aghora. TS@icar.gov.in Phone :9986100079

2. importance
• Cowpea is a food and animal feed crop
• It originated and was domesticated in Southern Africa.
• The grains contain 25% protein, and several vitamins and
minerals.
• The plant tolerates drought, performs well in a wide variety
of soils, and being a legume replenishes low fertility soils
when the roots are left to decay.
• It is grown mainly by small-scale farmers in developing
regions where it is often cultivated with other crops as it
tolerates shade. It also grows and covers the ground quickly,
preventing erosion.
• The name "cowpea" probably derives from when it was
an important livestock feed for cows in the United States.

3. Area and production
• More than 5.4 million tons of dried cowpeas are
produced worldwide, with Africa producing nearly 5.2
million.
• Nigeria, the largest producer and consumer, accounts for
61% of production in Africa and 58% worldwide.
• IITA scientists have developed high yielding varieties
having large seeds, seed coat texture and color.
• A number of the varieties have resistance to some of
the major diseases, pests, nematodes, and parasitic
weeds.
• They are also well-adapted to sole or intercropping.

4.  cowpea (Vigna unguiculata sub sp unguiculata and
sesquipedalis L.) is an important legume vegetable grown
for its tender green long pods and also for seeds.
 It can be grown throughout the year under Kerala
conditions, as a floor crop in coconut gardens and as an
intercrop in tapioca during May-Sept.
 It can be grown as a pure crop in single-crop and double-
crop rice fallows during rabi and summer seasons.
 Cowpea can be grown in homestead garden throughout the
year.
country area production productivity
India 58000 ha 4.8 lakh tonnes 8.44 t/ha
Nigeria 38 lakh ha 29 lakh tonnes 0.85 t/ha

5. Area and Production
Sl.
No.
States Area (ha.) Production
tonnes
Productivity
t/ha
1 Assam 3912 27870 7.12
2 Goa (Daman and Diu) 2200 17600 8.00
3 Kerala* 3015 30000 9.95
4 Uttar Pradesh 16900 113200 6.70
5 West Bengal 12300 115500 9.39
6 Orissa 8933 86450 9.67
7 Karnataka* 2850 23589 8.28
8 Others 7890 75200 9.53
Total 58000 489409 8.44
Source: Vegetable Statistics at Glance PDVR tech Bulletin; Personal
Communication with KAU and Dept of Horticulture Karnataka.

6. Important production requirements
Soils
Sandy loam is best with pH 6-7.5
Optimum Temperature:
250
C for germination
26-320
C for growth and development
Above 350
C reduces the flowering and pod
formation,
Pods mature early but starchy.
Season
Rabi sowing is the best for quality seeds. Oct 1-15

7. Important production techniques cont..
Spacing 60 cm x 10 cm ( bush)
100cm X 30cm (Pole)
Seed rate Bush: 20-25 kg/ha
Trailing: 4-5 kg/ha
SMR-1:30 for BS to FS
1:34 for FS to CS
(Therefore total certified seed requirement would be 1450 t.)
Fertilizer
FYM 20 t/ha
Lime 250 kg/ha or dolomite 400 kg/ha
N -20 kg/ha
P2O5 -30 kg/ha
K2O -10 kg/ha

8. Varieties
Bushy: Bhagyalakshmy, Pusa Barsathi, Pusa
Komal. Arka Garima, Arka Samrudhi, Arka
Suman.
Semitrailing: Kairali, Varun, Anaswara,
Kanakamony (PTB-1), Arka Garima.
Trailing : Sharika, Malika, KMV-1, Lola,
Vyjayanthi, Manjeri Local, Vyalathur Local,
Kurutholapayar, Arka Mangala.

9. A bush, photo insensitive variety with pod yield of 18 t/ha in 75 days.
Pods round, thick and string less.

10. A bush, photo insensitive variety with pod yield of 20 t/ha in 75 days.
Pods round, medium thick and string less. Pods are borne above the canopy.
Very early, very well suited for intercropping in coconut and areca nut
gardens

11. A bush, photo insensitive variety with pod yield of 20 t/ha in 75 days.
Pods round, thin and string less. Pods are borne above the canopy. Very
early, very well suited for intercropping in coconut and areca nut gardens

12. Arka Garima
Cowpea Bush Varieties
Arka Samrudhi
Arka Suman

13. Sl
No
variety
Year of
release
characters
1 KMV -1 1996 Pole Manjeri Red Plain
2 Malika 1992 Pole SPS from Thi’puram
3 Sharika 1993 Pole Valiyavila local (SPS)
4 Kairali 2001 Semi trailing, pods green and long
5 Bhagyalakshmi 2001 bushy type; long pods with purple tip
6 Lola 2001 Pole type; long green pods with purple tip
7 Vyjayanthi 1998 Pole purple poded
8 Kanakamany 2001 Green pods Dual purpose variety
9 Vellayani
Jyothika
2006 Pole Sel.from Sreekaryam local. Yield:
(19.33t/ha) with long light green pods
10 Pusa Komal - Bushy, thin pods
11 Pusa Barsathi - Bushy, thin pods
12 Arka Mangala 2010 Pole, long. green pods

14. Lola
Photosensitive pole
type
Pod yield 20-22t/ha.
in 90 days.
Round, smooth, long
green pods (45-
60cm) with purple tip

15. Yard Long Bean : Arka Mangala
Plants pole type and photo
insensitive
Pods long, round and string less
Pods are Crisp with no parchment.
Pod yield 25.0 t/ha in 100 days.

16. Lola
Photosensitive pole type
Pod yield 20-22t/ha. in
90 days.
Round, smooth, long
green pods (45-60cm)
with purple tip

17. Vyjayanthi
Pod yield 20-22t/ha.
in 90 days.
Round, smooth, long
pods (45-60cm) with
purple tip
Purple poded
Photosensitive pole
type

18. Techniques for cowpea seed production
• Highly self pollinated homogynous
flower.
• Season : October sowing
• Isolation : 50 m
• Rogueing : two times , at flowering and
pod formation stages
• Harvesting : fully matured dry pods
• Threshing and cleaning: broken, under
sized, diseased seeds to be removed.

19. Sowing / spacing
• 60 x 15 cm2
for bush and semi trailing
types
• Trailing varieties: 1.5 x 0.30 m2
spacing
for trailing types.

21. Major Production Constraints Root rots
Fusarium
Rhizoctonia
Seed treatment
Ceresan or thiram 50g/kg seeds
Drenching with Captaf 3g/l
at seedling stage
Phythium
Stemfly damage

22. Aphids: yield loss :10-60 %.
Powdery mildew
Aphid borne mosaic twig
Aphid borne mosaic leaves

23. Rust : yield loss 78 -90 %.
Diathane M-45,
Plantavax, Tilt
&
RES. VARIETIES

24. Anthracnose spray the crop with
carbendazim 0.1% at single
pustule stage

25. Plant protection
• The root-knot nematode and reniform nematode associated with
cowpea –neem cake 250kg per ha
• For protecting the crop from anthracnose, treat the seeds with
carbendazim (0.1%) and spray the crop with carbendazim 0.1%.
• Aphids control by any systemic insectiside
• pod borers-Spray carbaryl 0.2%, repeat the application, if
infestation persists. Coragen 0.3 ml/ liter of water if infestation is
high (Rynaxypyr)
• For protecting cowpea seeds against bruchids under storage
conditions, smear the seeds with groundnut or coconut oil at 1%.

26. harvesting
• For seed, harvest fully matured pods before
shattering in about 90-125 days after sowing.
• A good crop yields about 1.2-1.5 tons of seeds
SMR-1:30 BS- FS
1:34 FS –CS
• Grading
Grade the seeds at 10% moisture content using 3.96
-4.6 mm sieve.

27. Parameter Foundation seed Certified seed
Physical purity (min) % 98 98
Inert matter (max) % 2 2
Other crop seed (max) none 10 /kg
Weed Seed (max) none 10 /kg
Other distinguishable variety
seed (max)
5/kg 10/kg
Germination (min)%
(including hard seed)
75 75
Moisture content (max)
(a) Open storage
9 9
(b) Moisture vapor proof
storage
8 8
Seed standards

28. Thank you