Cowpea/ Black eye pea/Black eye bean/southern pea/China pea

Vigna unguiculata
Leguminosae

Importance

1. It is a pulse crop.
2. It is also a fodder crop.
3. It is also a green manuring crop.
4. It is rich in protein, Ca and Fe.
5. It is used for human consumption and also as concentrate food for animal.
6. It controls soil erosion if it is densely cultivated.
7. If fixes atmospheric nitrogen it to the soil.
Origin
West Africa, also considered Indo-Pakistan subcontinent.
Climatic requirements
Tropical crop, hot and humid climate favourable. For seed germination 12-125o C
temperature is optimum. For growth and development 29-35o C temperature is optimum.
It can tolerate the range of temperature 15 to 50 0 C. Above 350 C temperature pod and
flower shading rate increase. It can not tolerate frost, but it can tolerate water logging
condition. It can also be grown in shed. It can be grown where annual average minimum
rainfall is 65 cm.
Soils

It can be grown almost all types of soil such as sandy loam, clay loam, clayey soil,
alluvial soil but well-drained sandy loam soil is best suited for cow pea cultivation. But it
can not be grown in alkaline and saline soil.
Land preparation
Two-three ploughings followed by laddering. Soil clods should be broken down.
Seed sowing
Seed can be sown both kharif and rabi seasons. Rabi: October- November.
Kharif: April-June
Seed rate and sowing method
Broadcast- 80-90 kg ha-1 , Line sowing: 25-30 kg ha-1 (30 cm  6-15 cm).
Cultivars: According to size of fruit 3 kinds of cowpea are found in Bangladesh.
1. Yard long bean
2. Falon/ dwarf (small pod)
3. Common/medium size.
Weeding and Thinning
In kharif season weed infestation is high. Two weedings should be done at 15 DAS & 30
DAS. In case of line sowing thinning should be keeping plant to plant distance 6-15 cm.
Fertilizer application
In fertile soils no fertilizer is applied. If we want to better yield 50 q FYM/cowdung may
be applied at final land preparation. If FYM/cowdung is not available, then 55 kg urea,
130 TSP should be applied as basal dose during land preparation.
Irrigation and drainage
In kharif season, no irrigation is required. Excess water should be removed from the field.
In rabi season, if lack of moisture. one light irrigation should be given.
Harvesting:
As green manure: At flowering stage
As fodder crop: 45-60 DAS (when starts flowering)
As pulse: 120 DAS (at maturity)

Yield
Green manure: 20-30 t ha-1 .
Fodder: 20-30 t ha-1
Pulse: 0-5- 1 t ha-1
Nutrient content
Protein (in leaf and stem): 16-24%, In seed: 23.4%
Fat: 1.8%
Carbohydrate: 60%