Crop Production::Forage Crops::Fodder Cowpea

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