Cowpea is a warm climate vegetable well adapted to semi-humid conditions. It is a plant that requires high temperature during the development period. It is sensitive to spring and autumn frosts. Excessive heat and drought adversely affect fertilization and prevent fruit and seed. For germination of seeds, soil temperature should be 8-10 °C and air temperature should be 10-12 °C. The best growth temperature is between 20-30 °C. The difference between day and night temperature should be 5-10 °C. It is considered as a neutral day plant in terms of day length. Low temperature and day have a stimulating effect on the first flowering. Soil Requirements Cowpea plant can be grown in different soil types from sandy soils to clay soils. Light soils should be preferred for early fresh cowpea cultivation. Soil preparation and sowing The soil should be deeply plowed in the fall. If the ecological conditions are favorable, the soil can be cultivated in winter. Early tillage helps organic matter to decompose easily and increase the water level in the soil. In spring, before sowing seeds, the soil is cultivated several times at a depth of 10-15 cm. In this way, the weeds in the cultivation areas are removed and a good seed bed is prepared for the plant. In the spring, after the last frosts have passed and the soil warms up, the soil is cultivated again and then the cowpea seeds are sown in the growing areas. There should be sufficient moisture in the soil to sow the seeds. Seed sowing can be done row by row with a seeder or by hand. The row spacing should be 60-70 cm between rows and 10-15 cm above rows. Seeds should be sown 4-5 cm deep into the soil. Seeds are sown with the calculation of 6-8 kg in a decare area. Excess moisture in the soil causes the seeds to rot as in peas. Insufficient moisture, on the other hand, causes the seeds to remain dry and negatively affects their germination. Hoeing When the plants are on the soil surface and have 2-3 leaves, thinning, then weeding and throat filling hoeing is done. These operations should be completed within 2-3 weeks. Depending on the climatic conditions, the weeding and weeding hoeing can be repeated after the early irrigation. Irrigation Cowpea is irrigated by furrow method. Depending on climatic conditions, irrigation should be done at intervals of 7-10 days in a vegetation period. In some regions, cowpea is grown without irrigation. In these regions, the vegetation period is short and the yield decreases. Cultivation in regions where cowpea is grown without irrigation is for the production of grain cowpea. Fertilization Cowpea plant has a very high phosphorus demand. When the soil is well inoculated with nitrogen bacteria, it will be self-sufficient in terms of nitrogen. Phosphorus fertilizers given to the soil significantly increase the development of nodosity.
10-15 kg nitrogen, 10-12 kg phosphorus, 8-10 kg potassium fertilizer should be given per decare. Depending on the nutrients in the soil, calcium, magnesium and sulfur can also be given.
