Crop Production :: Pulses :: Cowpea

COWPEA ( Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.aggreg.)

SEASON AND VARIETIES

DISTRICT/SEASON	VARIETIES
Adipattam (June-August)
For all districts except Kanyakumari and Nilgiris	Co 6, Co(CP) 7, Paiyur 1, VBN 1
Purattasipattam (September - November)
Vellore, Thiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Perembalur, Erode, Coimbatore, Madurai, Dindigul, Theni and Virudhunagar	Co 6, Co(CP) 7, Paiyur 1
Margazhi - Thaipattam (December – February)
Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur, Vellore, Thiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Coimbatore, Erode, Madurai, Dindigul, Theni, Tiruchirappalli, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Karur, Pudukkottai, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi	Co 2, Co 6, Co(CP) 7, VBN 2

PARTICULARS OF VARIETIES

Source: www.21food.com/userImages/jyglobe/jyglobe$38164046.jpg

Particulars	CO 2		Paiyur 1	CO 6	VBN 1	VBN 2	CO(CP) 7
Parentage	Hybrid derivative (C521 x C49)		Selection from VM 16	MS 9804 x C 152	Selection from T 85F 2020	Selection from IT 81-D-1228-10	Gamma mutant of CO 4 (20  Kr)
Year of release	1972		1985	1993	1997	1998	2002
50% flowering(days)	45		75	35	35 – 40	40-45	40 – 45
Duration (days)	90		90	65 – 70	55 – 65	75 - 80	70 – 75
Grain yield(kg/ha) Rainfed	...		900	671	950	-	1000
Irrigated	1375		--	-	-	-	1600
Vegetable (Kg/ha)	9400		...	-		10580	-
Plant height (cm)	30 - 40		60 - 70	34.5	25 - 30	45 - 60	40 – 55
Stem, branches	Green stem purple wash at   nodes, 3-4 branches		Erect	Green stem purple wash   at nodes,   3-4 branches	Erect green, 2 – 4 branches	Green erect, 2 – 3    branches	Green with purple ring at fruiting nodes, 5 – 8 branches
Leaves	Trifoliate, broad and long petioles		Dark green leaflets possessing tri­angular white spots	Trifoliate entire, green, purple spot at the abse of leaflet	Light green	Dark green trifoliate	Ovote, trifoliate, entire, green and glabrous
Colour of pods	Tender greenish white	Green		Dark green pigmented tip	Greenish white	Light green	Green
Dry	Greyish white	Brown		Brown at maturity	Cream	Cream	Light brown
Colour of grain	Reddish brown with irregular patches	Brick red		Light cream	White	Ivory white, hilum with tan ring surrounded by brown band	Brownish white and squire shape
100 grain wt (g)	12.5	9.9		9.9	12 - 15	13 - 15	12 - 14

CROP MANAGEMENT

IV. MANAGEMENT OF FIELD OPERATIONS

1. FIELD PREPARATION

Prepare the land to fine tilth and form beds and channels.

SEED RATE

STRAIN	Quantity of seed required (kg/ha)
	Pure crop	Mixed crop
Paiyur 1, VBN 1, VBN 2,  CO 6,  CO(CP) 7	25	12.5

Optimum plant population 3,50,000/ha.

2. SEED TREATMENT

Treat the seeds with Carbendazim or Thiram 2 g/kg of seed 24 hours before sowing (or) with talc formulation of Trichoderma viride @ 4g/kg of seed (or) Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 10 g/kg seed.

• Biocontrol agents are compatible with biofertilizers.
• First treat the seeds with biocontrol agents and then with Rhizobium.
• Fungicides and biocontrol agents are incompatible.

3. SEED TREATMENT WITH BIOFERTILIZER

• Fungicide-treated seeds, should be again treated with a bacterial culture. There should be an interval of atleast 24 hours between fungicidal and biofertilizer treatments.
• The improved rhizobial strain COC 10 is more effective in increasing the yield.
• Treat the seeds with 3 packets (600 g/ha) of Rhizobial culture COC 10  and 3 packets (600 g/ha)  of Phosphobacteria developed at TNAU using rice kanji as binder. If the seed treatment is not carried out apply 10packets of Rhizobium (2000 g/ha)  and 10 packets(2000 g)  of Phosphobacteria with 25 kg of FYM and 25 kg of soil before sowing.   Dry the biofertilizer treated seeds in shade for 15 minutes before sowing.

4. FERTILIZER APPLICATION
    a)  Apply fertilizers basally before sowing.
         Rainfed : 12.5 kg N + 25 kg P2O5 + 12.5 kg K2O +10 kg S*/ha
         Irrigated : 25 kg N + 50 kg P2O5 + 25 kg K2O + 20 kg S*/ha
               *Note : Applied in the form of gypsum if Single Super Phospate is not applied as a source of phosphorus
            b)  Soil application of 25 kg ZnSo4/ha under irrigated condition     

5. SOWING

Dibble the seeds adopting the following spacing.

Varieties	Sole crop	Mixed crop
CO 6, VBN 1, Paiyur 1	30 cm X 15 cm	200 cm X 15 cm
Co 6, CO (CP) 7, VBN 2, Co 2	45 cm x 15 cm	..

Cowpea CO 6 at a spacing of 30cm X 15 cm

6. WATER MANAGEMENT

Irrigate immediately after sowing followed by life irrigation on the third day. Irrigate at intervals of 7 to 10 days depending upon soil and climatic conditions. Flowering and pod formation stages are critical periods when irrigation is a must. Avoid water stagnation at all stages. . Apply KCl at 0.5 per cent as foliar spray during vegetative stage if there is moisture stress.

7. SPRAYING OF DIAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE OR UREA,  NAA AND SALICYLIC ACID

• Foliar spray of Spray of NAA 40 mg/litre and Salicylic acid 100 mg/litre once at pre-flowering and another at 15 days thereafter 
• Foliar spray of DAP 20 g/litre  or urea 20 g/litre once at flowering and another at 15 days thereafter

8.WEED MANAGEMENT

• Pre emergence application of Pendimethalin 2 litres on 3 days after sowing using Backpack/ Knapsack/Rocker sprayer fitted with flat fan nozzle using 500 l of water for spraying one ha. After this, one hand weeding on 30 days after sowing gives weed free environment throughout the crop period. 
• If herbicides are not applied give two hand weedings on 15 and 30 days after sowing.

Updated on : 04.06.2013