Cowpea is a self pollinated crop which is encouraged by the arrangements of the floral parts. However, Insects visiting cowpea flowers have been implicated in the movement of pollen from one cowpea plant to another. Flower opening of cowpea begins between 6:00am and 6:30am and closes between 11:30am and 12:00pm.
What is the best fertilizer for cowpeas?
Fertilization: N is not required. Cowpea performs best on well-drained sandy loams or sandy soils where soil pH is in the range of 5.5 to 6.5. Excess nitrogen (N) promotes lush vegetative growth and delays maturity. A starter N rate of around 27 lb/acre is recommended for early plant development on low-N soils.
How long does it take for cowpeas to bloom?
45 to 48 days
Context in source publication.of days to flowering and days to maturity for cowpea varieties are presented in Table 1. Days to flowering varied from 45 to 48 days after sowing among the eight varieties.
Is cowpea a deep rooted crop?
The root system of the cowpea is deep rooted with a strong taproot. It also has many lateral roots which spread in surface soil. Root depths of up to 2,4 m have been measured as soon as eight weeks after planting. This means the plant has the ability to access nutrients far deeper than a maize plant can.
How many months does it take cowpea to mature?
Green pods for use as vegetable can be harvested 45 – 90 days after sowing depending on the variety. For grains, the crop can be harvested in about 90-125 days after sowing when pods are fully matured.
What month do you plant cowpeas?
Cowpeas can be planted in most of the country from May to August. Later plantings can provide succulent growth to attract deer for an early bow shot. Cowpeas can tolerate a wide range of soil types but do best when planted in well-drained soils that are slightly acidic.
Do cowpeas add nitrogen to soil?
Other grain legumes, such as peanuts, cowpeas, soybeans, and fava beans, are good nitrogen fixers and will fix all of their nitrogen needs other than that absorbed from the soil.
Do cowpeas need a lot of water?
Cowpeas grow best in full sun in rich, well-drained soil. Although cowpeas are heat tolerant, water frequently.
What is the difference between cowpeas and field peas?
Field peas are cowpeas, so named because they were grown as a rotational crop in the fields instead of in kitchen gardens. Dozens of different types—what we now call heirloom selections—were grown in Southern communities that valued them for their flavor and ability to flourish in local conditions.
Will cowpeas reseed?
Cowpea has the potential to reseed from previous plantings. Cowpea can be planted in mixtures with buckwheat or sorghum-sudangrass to maximize its potential to suppress weeds. It is often interseeded into corn for weed suppression (Clark, 2007).
Do cowpeas need a trellis?
Because beans are nitrogen-fixers (they work with the bacteria in the soil to get all the nitrogen they need), additional nitrogen fertilizer is unnecessary. Cowpea vines grow quickly. Provide a trellis for them to climb or allow beans to grow wild, and they will become entangled and massed together.
How many pods does a cowpea plant produce?
63-65 days. Grows on semi-bushy plants that can reach anywhere from 1′ to 2′ tall. The 1/2″ long pods grow in clusters at the top of green, leafy stems, and contain 10 to 13 small beans. Pea pods mature from a light green to a medium-purple color.
Is cowpea a long day plant?
Cowpea is a quantitative short-day plant. Local populations of cowpeas grown by farmers in West Africa are well adapted so that they start to flower at the end of the rains at a particular location. The optimum temperature for growth and development is between 20 and 35 °C.
Are cowpeas pole or Bush?
Different varieties of cowpeas have different growing habits. Some cowpeas climb like pole beans while others form compact plants like bush beans.
Are cowpeas hard to grow?
Cowpeas are relatively inexpensive, easy to establish and manage, grow well under just about any condition, produce a tremendous amount of protein-packed and digestible forage, and deer are extremely attracted to them. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a warm-season annual legume that originated from Ethiopia.
Are cowpeas easy to grow?
Cowpeas are relatively easy to grow, and they are tolerant of poor soils and drought conditions. These are some of the most drought-resistant plants around and they are also suitable for long term storage. However, they do require a long growing season, so they are not well suited to areas with short growing seasons.
Are cowpeas invasive?
Australia is very strict in regards to the type of plants and seeds that they allow into the country and cowpeas are restricted due to the potential invasivenss in that climate, if they escape cultivation.
Do you soak cowpeas before planting?
Most of them have hard coats, and all benefit from soaking before planting. Soak them overnight in warm water. This will expedite the germination process.
Can you eat cowpea leaves?
Abstract. Cowpea leaf is among the African indigenous vegetables that have been recommended for possible alleviation of food and nutrition insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The vegetable is rich in micronutrients including iron and vitamin A whose deficiencies are prevalent in SSA.
Do cow peas need fertilizer?
Fertilization: N is not required. Cowpea performs best on well-drained sandy loams or sandy soils where soil pH is in the range of 5.5 to 6.5. Excess nitrogen (N) promotes lush vegetative growth and delays maturity. A starter N rate of around 27 lb/acre is recommended for early plant development on low-N soils.
What plant fixes the most nitrogen?
Alfalfa and clovers are the best nitrogen-fixing cover crops in terms of capacity.