Cultural Practices Of Cowpea And importance

Hi, welcome to this hall on the topic cultural practices of cowpea in agriculture.

“Discover the cultural practices, pest management, and importance of cowpea farming. Learn how this resilient legume supports nutrition, soil fertility, and livelihoods worldwide.”

Table Of Contents

1. Meaning of cowpea.
2. Cultural practices of cowpea
3. Importance of cowpea.
4. Revision Questions

Meaning of Cowpea

Meaning: Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), often referred to as the “poor man’s meat,” is an indispensable crop in tropical and subtropical regions. Revered for its nutritional value and ability to thrive in harsh climates, cowpea plays a vital role in food security, soil health, and rural livelihoods.

The COWPEA is a member of the pulses or legumes. It belongs to the family called leguminousae. It is rich in protein and is commonly fed on by Man. The fruit of Cowpea is called pod.

In this hall, we’ll explore the cultural practices involved in growing cowpea, the pests that challenge its cultivation, and the crop’s remarkable importance.

Read Also

• Vegetables to Grow in your garden and when to plant
• How to grow onions; guide for Onion farming
• Cultural practices of pepper and importance

VARIETIES OF COWPEA

• Erect types
• creeping type,
• ife Brown,
• ife bimpe, etc.

The Cultural Practices of Cowpea

Efficient cultivation of cowpea requires attention to specific practices tailored to its growth requirements. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Site Selection: cowpea thrives in well-drained sandy or clay loam soils with a pH of 5.5–6.5. It is highly adaptable to warm climates with moderate rainfall (400–700 mm annually), making it ideal for semi-arid regions.

Land Preparation: The land is cleared after which they trash is packed. Widow burning can also be done. The lab preparation is continued with stumping, ploughing, harrowing and ridging done in sequence.

Climate and Soil Requirements: Cowpea requires a temperature of 27 c to 35 c, rainfall of 60cm – 125cm per annum, abundant sunshine and a rich Sandy loamy soil.

Method of Propagation: By Seeds.

Planting Date: early and late planting are in April and August respectively. In the south, early planting is April while late planting is August and September. In the North, late planting is July and August.

SEED RATE; 20- 25kg/ha.

SPACING: it depends on variety. For example, spacing for the spreading type is 25 x 90 cm while the erect type is 30 * 75 cm.

Planting: There should be seed dressing before planting. Planting can either be manual or mechanized. Seeds are planted directly on the field. Planting depth of two to four cm is allowed. Planting rate is 2 to 3 seeds in a hole, while germination occurs between 3 to 5 days after planting.

THINNING: In cultural Practices of Cowpea, this can be done when the plants are about 2 to 5 weeks of age.

WEEDING: In the cultural Practices of Cowpea, weeding can be done manually on a small scale while herbicides can be applied on Commercial scale. Weeding is usually carried out once or twice before the plant spread fully.

Irrigation: Irrigation is necessary during flowering and pod development but avoid overwatering, as cowpea is sensitive to waterlogging.

FERTILIZER APPLICATION; Apply phosphatic fertilizer for modulation and pod formation. Apply the fertilizer at Land preparation or at plantain. Rate of application should be 250 kg or 5 bags per hectare.

MATURING PERIOD; cowpea matures between 3 to 4 months after planting

HARVESTING: Brown, macho or ripe pods are harvested by hand picking. Early maturing varieties are harvested 3 months after planting why late maturing varieties are harvested after 4 months. Harvest mature dry pods before shattering.

PROCESSING: Harvested ports are dried under the Sun. Sharing is done by beating the dry pots with sticks or by pounding lightly in a mortal on a small scale. Shellers are used on a large scale. Winnowing is carried out whereby broken shell or pods are removed from the beans. Extraneous matter like stones are later removed.

• Ensure proper drying before storage.
• shelled beans are treated with insecticide before storage to prevent weevils attack.
• Shelled seeds are stored in bags or rhumbus on a small scale.
• Storage is done in silos on a large scale.
• hermatic storage can also be done in air tight containers.

STORAGE: The seeds are stored in a jute bags. Read about different farm storage here

PESTS OF COWPEA

Like any other crop, cowpea is susceptible to various pests that can compromise its yield and quality. Below are some of the most common pests and their management strategies:

1. Pod borers: Adult piece or boreholes into fruits and stems and may inject toxic saliva.

CONTROL: spray with insecticide

2. Bean beetle(callosobruchus spp): This is a feed to store pest. Adults and names boreholes into seed, feed on them and turn them to powder, thereby reducing the quality and market value.

CONTROL: Early harvesting of Pods and fumigation of containers or store with fumigant like phostoxin tablet.

3. Leaf Hoppers: They eat up the leaves, thereby causing low yield of crops.

CONTROL: Spray insecticide

DISEASE OF COWPEA

1. Cowpea mosaic disease: It is a viral disease which is transmitted by aphids or thrip. It causes stunting, reduces pod size and causes premature dropping of flowers.

CONTROL: Use resistance varieties, control insect vector by spraying with pesticides and remove and burn infected plants.

2. Bacteria blight: It is caused by a bacterium which is spread by water. Infected leaves produce water soaked spots which later enlarge and turn brown.

CONTROL: Use resistance varieties and use clean seeds when planting.

3. Nematode disease: it is caused by a nematode transmitted through soil. It causes twisting, rolling of leaves, galls and rottening of roots.

CONTROL: Use resistant varieties, practice good cultural operations, and treat soil with nematicide.

4. Damping off disease: This disease is caused by fungus. It is transmitted through the hyphae in the soil. It’s results in the destruction of seedlings in the soil.

CONTROL: Dress seeds with fungicides, practice crop rotation, grow resistance varieties, and remove infected plants.

IMPORTANCE OF COWPEA

Cowpea is more than just a crop, it’s a lifeline for millions of people.

Below are the list of importance of cowpea in Agriculture:

1. Human Consumption: Cowpea seeds are a valuable source of protein, fiber, and essential nutrients. They are commonly consumed as a staple food in many regions, prepared by boiling, steaming, or grinding into flour for various dishes.
2. Livestock Feed: Another importance of cowpea is livestock feed; The plant’s leaves and stems are often used as fodder for livestock, providing a nutritious feed option for animals.
3. Green Manure: Another importance of cowpea is for green manure; As a leguminous crop, cowpea has nitrogen-fixing bacteria in its root nodules. This property makes it useful as a green manure, enhancing soil fertility by adding nitrogen, which benefits subsequent crops.
4. Soil Erosion Control: Cowpea can be grown as a cover crop to control soil erosion due to its extensive root system, which helps bind the soil together.
5. Inter-cropping and Crop Rotation: Farmers often use cowpea in inter-cropping systems, planting it alongside other crops to maximize land use efficiency. It is also used in crop rotation to improve soil health.
6. Income Generation: Income Is another importance of cowpea, Cultivating cowpea can be economically beneficial for farmers, as they can sell the harvested seeds and other plant parts as cash crops.
7. Traditional Medicine: In some cultures, cowpea is used for medicinal purposes. Different parts of the plant may be employed in traditional medicine to treat various ailments.

Conclusion on the cultural practices of cowpea

Cowpea stands as a testament to the adaptability and resilience of nature. Its cultivation not only provides nutrition and income but also contributes to sustainable agriculture by enriching soils and supporting ecosystems. However, successful cowpea farming requires careful management of pests and adherence to proper cultural practices.

Revision Questions

1. (a) What is cowpea? (b) what family is Cowpea?
2. Outline the cultural practices of Cowpea in agriculture.
3. State five importance of Cowpea.
4. (a) What is the planting date for cowpea? (b) what is the method of Propagation of Cowpea?