Products & Services � Package of Practices

  Cowpea
Botanical Name: Vigna unguiculata
Varieties:
  • Semi trailing :
    Kanakamony:Semi trailing dual-purpose type. Pods are green in colour and bold seeded. Suitable for the kitchen gardens.
    Anaswara:Light green medium long pods.
    Kairali: Violet coloured medium long pods.
    Varun:Long purple poded and bold seeded.
  • Trailing :
    Sharika:High yielding. Long white pods with purple tip. Seeds black in colour.
    Malika:High yielding. Long light green pods without purple tip. Seeds brown with a white speck having irregular shape at one end.
    Lola:High yielding.Long light green pods with purple tip and brown seeds.
    Vyjayanthi:Long wine red extra long pods with brown seeds.
    KMV-1:Light green pods with brown tips.
    Vellayani Jyothika:Light green pods. Tolerant to fussarium wilt.
  • Bushy :
    Bhagyalakshmy: Bushy growth habit with light green medium sized pods.
    Climate & Soil: Warm humid climate.Well-drained soils.
    Season: June, September or December.It can be grown throughout the year under Kerala conditions.Vegetative growth will be more in rainy sesaon.
    Seed rate: Bushy type: 20-25 Kg/ha,
    Trailing type: 4-5 Kg /ha
    Seeds available with VFPCK: Lola, Kanakamony, Anaswara
    Seed Treatment: Cowpea seeds should be inoculated with Rhizobium and pelleted with lime. 10g Rhizobium +2.5% starch solution + 50-100g calcium carbonate for 1 kg seed.Dry the inoculated seeds under shade over a clean paper or gunny bag and sow immediately.
    Spacing: Bushy/semitrailing:1m X10-15 cm. Planting can be done on ridges during rainy season and in channels during summer.
    Trailing type: pits at a spacing of 2X2 m, retaining 2-3 plants / pit or
    ridges at a spacing of 1.5 m X 50-60cm.
    Nutrient management : Apply FYM 20 t/ha. NPK 20:30:10 kg/ha.Half the quantity of N, whole of phosphorus and potash may be applied at the time of final ploughing. The remaining N may be applied 15-20 days after sowing.
    Crop Management: Application of Planofix @ 3-6ml in 10 litres water one month after sowing will improve the yield. Approximately 2.5litre solution is required for one cent. Repeat the application 2 months after sowing. Excessive vegetative growth is a problem in some of the varieties. Withhold irrigation and apply Potash to induce flowering.
    Pest Management :
    • Pod borer: Larvae bore the pods. Neem oil emulsion 5% /Fenthion (Labacid 50EC) 1ml per litre. Field sanitation.
    • American serpentine leaf miner : Eats away the chlorophyll of the leaves leaving snake like white scars on the leaf lamina. Neem oil emulsion 10%, Field sanitation.
    • Black pea aphids : Sucks sap from the leaves, stem, flowers and pods Neem oil emulsion 10%/ Nattappochedi – soap emulsion/ Fusarium pallidoroseum at 300g/cent. .
    • Pod bug : Adults and nymphs suck sap from the pods. Pods get shriveled and discoloured. 20g garlic paste in Malathion 50EC @4ml per litre, Mechanical control.
    Disease Management :
    • Anthracnose : Black lesions on leaves and vines,drying of the vines. Seeds treatment with Bavistin @ 2g per kg, 1% Bordeaux mixture/Fytolan @4g per litre, Field sanitation. Application of Trichoderma. Resistant varieties.
    • Basal swelling and rot :Swelling, decay in the collar region and rot. Seeds treatment with Bavistin @ 2g per kg, 1% Bordeaux mixture/Fytolan @4g per litre, Field sanitation. Application of Trichoderma.
    • Mosaic : Yellow mottled appearance on leaves and stunted growth of the plant. Aphid control- 10% neem oil emulsion, Healthy seeds.
    • Powdery mildew : Ashy spots on the leaves and stem. Apply Karathane 2ml/l.
    Harvesting: Harvest at tender stages when the tip is pliable and they snap.
    Yield: Green pod yield of 10-20tons and grain yield of 1.2-1.5 tons per ha.
    Post Harvesting: The pods are then to be precooled in shade to reduce the field heat. They are the tied into small bundles and packed.
    Seed Collection:

    • Back