What are the characteristics of cowpea?

Cowpeas are typically climbing or trailing vines that bear compound leaves with three leaflets. The white, purple, or pale-yellow flowers usually grow in pairs or threes at the ends of long stalks. The pods are long and cylindrical and can grow 20–30 cm (8–12 inches) long, depending on the cultivar.

Are cow peas good for the soil?

Cowpeas’ roots also access phosphorus that may be limited in the soil. And, their quick growth and rapid ground cover prevent soil erosion. Squeezing in this extra crop also benefits farming families.

Can cowpea be used as a forage?

Cowpeas are primarily valued as food, but they are occasionally used to feed livestock. Cowpea forage, both the vines and leaves, either fresh, or conserved as hay or silage, is often used for fodder.

How long does cow peas take to mature?

Cowpeas take 80 days or more to become ready for harvest. If growing on a vine, they will need some support like a pole or fence during their growth.

What are the benefits of cowpea?

Cowpeas are not only versatile and delicious but also important for human health, offering a number of benefits. They may help improve digestion, aid in sleep disorders, manage diabetes, and protect the heart. They also detoxify the body, promote healthy skin, aid in weight loss, and improve blood circulation.

What is cow pea used for?

Cowpea may be used green or as dry fodder. It also is used as a green manure crop, a nitrogen fixing crop, or for erosion control. Similar to other grain legumes, cowpea contains trypsin inhibitors which limit protein utilization.

Do cowpeas add nitrogen to soil?

Legumes (peas, vetches, clovers, beans and others) grow in a symbiotic relationship with soil-dwelling bacteria. The bacteria take gaseous nitrogen from the air in the soil and feed this nitrogen to the legumes; in exchange the plant provides carbohydrates to the bacteria.

How much nitrogen does cowpeas produce?

300 lb. N/A
Properly inoculated in nitrogen deficient soils, cowpeas can produce more than 300 lb. N/A (120).

Will cowpeas regrow after grazing?

Cowpea and lablab beans will regrow after grazing and haying, but they may not grow as fast as the grass component and contribute less than expected.

What are the types of cowpea?

Yardlong beanCatjangDixie Lee peaVigna unguiculata subsp. ste…
Black-eyed pea/Lower classifications

Can you eat cowpea leaves?

Cowpea (also known as a black-eyed pea) is grown mainly for its edible beans, but what many people don’t know is that the crop can be grown as a vegetable. Its tender leaves and young pods are also edible and can be used to make delicious and nutritious vegetable dishes.

Why are they called cow peas?

The first written reference of the word ‘cowpea’ appeared in 1798 in the United States. The name was most likely acquired due to their use as a fodder crop for cows. Black-eyed pea, a common name used for the unguiculata cultivar group, describes the presence of a distinctive black spot at the hilum of the seed.

What is the difference between cowpeas and black-eyed peas?

Black-eyed peas, also known as cowpeas, are a common legume cultivated around the globe. Despite their name, black-eyed peas are not peas but rather a type of bean. They’re generally very pale in color and feature a large black, brown, or red spot that resembles an eye.

Which legume crop fixes the most nitrogen?

Grain legumes such as soybean and peanut use most of their fixed nitrogen for themselves. Forage legumes, such as alfalfa and clovers, are the best crops for companion planting as they can fix substantial amounts of surplus nitrogen under the right conditions.

How many cowpeas are in an acre?

Yields in the US are reported at 900–1350 pounds per acre, but up to 2700 pounds per acre in California.

How many pounds per acre do you plant cowpeas?

Cowpeas can be planted in a mix with millet at about 12 to 15 lbs of millet and 40 to 50 lbs of cowpea, for a combined rate of about 52 to 65 lbs/ acre.

Are cowpeas good for deer?

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.

What do you mix with deer cowpeas?

Egyptian wheat is an ideal tall-growing plant for running cowpeas to climb on. The two plants combined make an excellent food source and bedding area for deer. A good blend of Egyptian wheat and cowpea is 12 pounds per acre of Egyptian wheat seeds, and 25 pounds per acre of cowpea seed.