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Crop Production :: Forage Crops :: Fodder Cowpea

 

Fodder Cowpea

Season and Varieties

Zone District / Season Month Varieties
Irrigated
All districts of Tamil Nadu June-July CO (FC) 8 ,
CO 9 and TNFC 0926

 

Particulars of Fodder Cowpea Varieties

 

PARTICULARS CO (FC) 8 CO 9 TNFC 0926
Parentage Cross derivative from CO 5 x N 331 CO 5 × Bundel Lobia 2 CO 5 × KBC 2 (Released for North Eastern Zone of India)
Duration (Days) 55-60 50-55 50-55
Green fodder yield (t/ha) 18-22 22-23 25
Seed yield (kg/ha) 625 745 650
Quality characters
Dry matter content (%) 15.5 16.86 19.30
Crude protein content (%) 20.7 21.56 19.20


Special features of Fodder Cowpea CO 9     

  •  High dry matter yield (3.85 t/ha)
  •  High protein content (21.56 %)
  •  Reduced fibre portions confer increased digestibility, palatability and intake
  •  Moderately resistant to yellow mosaic virus


  Fodder Cowpea CO 9

Crop Production:

1. Preparatory cultivation : Plough 2 to 3 times to obtain a good tilth and form ridges and furrows of 6 m length and 60 cm apart.
2. Seed rate : 25 kg/ha
3. Spacing : 30 x 15 cm in lines
4. Manures and fertilizers : Manured for irrigated crop only
Basal: FYM : 12.5 t/ha
NPK: 25 : 40 : 20 kg/ha
5. Weed Management : First weeding at 25th DAS. Subsequent weeding based on necessity
6. Water Management   Immediately after planting; life irrigation on 3rd day and thereafter once in 10 days.
7. Harvest : At 50% flowering stage (50 - 55 days).
8. Green fodder yield : 25-28 t/ha

Crop Protection:

Aphid Aphis craccivora
Symptoms of Damage
  • Stunting and distorting growth.
  • Honeydew production and sooty mould.
  • Vector: Cowpea Mosaic Virus
Identification of insect pest
  • Shiny black aphid.
  • Aphid groups on the under surface of the cowpea leaves, young stems and pods.
Management ETL: 20/2.5 cm shoot length
  • Conserve important predators coccinellid beetles, e.g. Cheilomenes sexmaculata and Coccinella septempuncta, syrphid larvae, e.g. Ischiodon scutellaris, Neuropteran larvae, e.g. Micromus timidus, and a predatory dipteran, e.g. Aphidoletes aphidimyza.
Cowpea mosaic: Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) Field diagnostic symptoms
  • Bright yellow mottling with dark green vein – banding, leaf distortion, blistering, stunting and reduced leaf lamina.
Causal agent
  • Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) is a plant virus of the comovirus group.
  • It is positive sense RNA virus
Survival and Mode of Spread
  • Aphid - Aphis craccivora, A. gossypii, A. fabae and Myzus persicae .
Favourable Conditions
  • High temperature
Integrated Disease Management
  • Roguing out of diseased plants up to 30 days .
Seed Production Land requirement
  • Land should be free of volunteer plants.
  • The previous crop should not be the same variety or other varieties of the same crop.
  • It can be the same variety if it is certified as per the procedures of certification agency.
Isolation
  • For certified / quality seed production, leave a distance of 5 m all around the field from the same and other varieties of the crop.
  • Seed rate : 20 kg/ha
    Spacing : 60 x 20 cm
    Fertilizer : Apply NPK @ 25:40:20 kg / ha as basal for the first crop
    Season : October to January
    Seed grading : Grade the seeds using BSS 16 x 16 wire mesh sieve.
Storage
  • Short term storage in gunny/cloth bag (8 - 9 months) with 9-10% moisture content .
  • Medium term storage in polylined gunny bag (12 - 15 months) with 8 - 9 % moisture.
  • Long term storage in 700 gauge polythene bag (more than 15 months) with 8% moisture.

Updated on Apr 2023
 

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