2. An assignment on Systematics of Cowpea (Vigna
unguiculata (L.) Walp
VSC 506 Systematics of Vegetable crops (1+1)
Submitted to : Dr. S.N.Saravaiya
I/C Professor
Dept. of Vegetable Science
ACHF, NAU
Sub. by : Avisha Ram Budhani
Reg. No. : 2020216001
2nd Semester
M.Sc. (Horticulture) Vegetable Science
ACHF, NAU
Major Guide : Dr. D.R.Bhanderi
Associate Professor
Dept. of Vegetable Science
ACHF, NAU
2
Minor Guide : Dr. R.V. Tank
Associate Professor
Dept. of Fruit Science
ACHF, NAU
Date of presentation : 25/4/2017
3. Fabaceae family
• Leguminosae or fabaceae also called the legume, pea or
bean family is the third largest family of the angiosperms
after Orchidaceae and Asteraceae and second to Poaceae in
terms of agricultural and economic importance.
• The family comprises of about 751 genera and 19,000
species.
• Recent molecular and morphological evidence supports the
fact that the Fabaceae is a single monophyletic family.
• The name 'Fabaceae' comes from the defunct genus Faba,
now included in Vicia. The term "faba" comes from Latin,
and appears to simply mean "bean". Leguminosae is an
older name still considered valid, and refers to the fruit of
these plants, which are called legumes.
3
4. • All pulses are leguminous but all legumes are not pulses.
• The species in this family are distributed worldwide but are
present in abundance in tropical and subtropical regions.
• The family is further divided into Papilionaceae ,
Ceasalpiniaceae and Mimosaceae.
• A few members of these sub-families :-
1. Papilionaceae – Pea; Cowpea; soybean; lentil; chickpea;
groundnut; black gram; green gram; kidney bean; lima
bean; pigeon pea; bengal gram; indian bean; cluster bean;
alfalfa; fenugreek; broad bean; indigo; flame of the forest;
sunhemp; sesbania; shisham; sweet pea; butterfly pea;
pongam etc.
2. Cesalpiniaceae – Bauhinia purpurea; gulmohar; tamarind;
peacock flower; sita ashoka; Parkinsonia etc.
3. Mimosaceae – Mimosa pudica; Acacia catechu; Ardusi ;
Acacia nilotica L. 4
5. Useful plants of Fabaceae ( A Class book of Botany by A.C.
Dutta, 7th edition, pg - 500 5
6. A page of Leguminosae
from the book Manual
of Cultivated plants by
L.H.Bailey
pg. no. – 550 - 593
6
7. Difference between 3 sub-families
•
Features Papilionoidae (fabaceae) Caesalpiniaceae Mimoseae
Leaves Imparipinnate paripinnate Bipinnate, stipules
present or absent
Flowers Zygomorphic Slightly Zygomorphic Actinomorphic
(Regular)
Fruit Legume, small Legume long Lomentum
Inflorescence Racemose Racemose Spherical head
Calyx Gamosepalous Polysepalous, some
times gamosepalous
Gamosepalous
Corolla Polypetalous, posterior petal
largest and outermost,
aestivation vexillary
Polypetalous, posterior
petal smallest and
innermost, aestivation
imbricate
Gamopetalous, all
petals equal,
aestivation valvate
Androecium Stamens 10, (9)+1, rarely (10)
0r 10
10 or fewer Often indefinite,
sometimes definate
E.g. Pea, Cowpea, green gram Tamarind Acacia nilotica
10. Vegetative characters
• Habit : Usually annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, some are
tendril climbers like Pisum sativum, Lathyrus odoratus, some
are twiners like Clitoria and some are trees like Delbergia sisoo.
• Root : A much branched tap root system, bearing bacterial
nodules.
• Stem : Herbaceous or woody, erect or twinner, branched,
angular or cylindrical, solid or fistular.
• Leaves : Stipulate, Alternate, Unipinnately compound and
imparipinnate, leaf base: Pulvinous ; venation: Reticulate
In Pisum sativum and Lathyrus sativus, upper leaflets are
modified into tendrils.
Exception : Palmately compound leaves, Ex: Trifolium and
Melilotus.
10
11. Floral characters
Flowers: Bracteate, pedicellate, complete, bisexual, pentamerous,
dichlamydeous(having two coverings, a calyx and a corolla),
zygomorphic and hypogynous.
Inflorescence: Racemose
Calyx: Sepals usually (5), green, gamosepalous showing valvate or
imbricate aestivation. Odd sepal is anterior in position.
Corolla: Petals 5, coloured, polypetalous showing descendingly
imbricate or vexillary aestivation. The outer most petal is large called
standard petal or vexillum or banner.
Two lateral petals are lanceolate and curved. They are called wing
petals or alae. 11
12. Two anterior and partly fused innermost petals are called keel
petals or carina.
The stamens and pistil are enclosed by these keel petals. All the
petals have a claw at their bases.
This type of irregular corolla is described as papilionaceous
corolla. Sometimes 4.
Androecium : Stamens 10, usually diadelphous(stamens divided
into 2 bundles). Nine stamens are fused to form a bundle and the
tenth stamen is free (9) + 1 (e.g. Clitoria ternatea).
The odd stamen is posterior in position.
12
13. In Crotalaria verrucosa the stamens are monadelphous and
dimorphic i.e. 5 stamens have longer filaments and other 5
stamens have shorter filaments.
Gynoecium : Ovary superior, monocarpellary, stipulate i.e. ovary
has a short stalk at the base.
Ovary unilocular with one to many ovules showing marginal
placentation. Style simple and bent. Stigma flattened or feathery.
Fruit: A legume or pod, splitting along both dorsal and ventral
sutures.
Seed: Non- endospermic and kidney shaped.
Floral formula: Br % O K (4-5) C 1+2+(2) A (9) + 1 or α G 1 13
25. Leguminous Oil crop
Ground nut (Arachis
hypogea) :
Oil is obtained from seeds
and used for cooking and
manufacture of vegetable
ghee.
Oil cake is used for cattle
and as bio-fertilizer.
25
26. Leguminous Oil crop
Soyabean (Glycine max) :
Oil is obtained from seeds.
Used for cooking, manufacturing for ink of printing, Paints,
insecticides.
Seeds have upto 20% protein and 40% oil. 26
28. Leguminous Fibre crop
Sun hemp (Crotolaria juncea) :
Bast fibres obtain from stem
which are useful in manufacturing
Ropes, canvas, sacks.
Dhaincha (Sesbania
cannabinus) Green manuring
28
32. Leguminous Dyes crop
Indigo or neel (Indigophora
tinctoria) : Blue dye obtained from
leaves and young branches.
Red sandel (Pterocarpous
santalinus) : Red dye extracted
from heart wood (innermost part
of wood)
32
33. Leguminous Dyes crop
Dak (Butea monosperma) :
Yellow orange dye obtained
from petals of flowers.
It is also called “Flame of
the Forest”.
33
36. Leguminous Gum crop
Tragacanth (Astragalus gummifer) :
Tragacanth gum is useful in
confectionary, textile industry and
cosmetics.
Bengal kino (Butea) : Gum has
medicinal use.
36
37. Leguminous Gum crop
• Cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) :
• Guar gum obtains from seeds, used in textiles, paper industry and
cosmetics.
• Guar gum is extracted from the endosperm of seeds.
37
42. Leguminous Medicinal crop
• Oinment prepared from
leaves used in leucoderma
• seeds were used by
jewellers in weighing
ornaments.
• Abrin – toxin, one of most
toxic substances known
• Single crushed seed can be
fatal if ingested
Jeweller’s weight ‘Ratti’-
(Abrus prictorious) :
42
44. Cowpea
Also known as : Black eye pea, Kathir pea, China pea southern
pea & vegetable meat.
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Spermatophyta
Sub division : Angiosperms
Class : Dicotyledonae
Order : Fabales
Family : Fabaceae
Genus : Vigna
Species : unguiculata
Botanical name: Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.
Origin: Central Africa
2n : 22
The probable progenitor of cowpea is Vigna unguiculata var.
mensensii (wild) 44
45. • Distribution : World – 170 species
India – 22 species
• Barnard (1969) divided variable species into three
main groups. Major sub species under cultivation :
1. Subsp. unguiculata – viny, sometimes erect type.
2. Subsp. cylindrica (Catjang bean) – erect type;
cultigroup biflora
3. Subsp. sesquipedalis (yard long or asparagus bean) –
trailing or climbing type
4. Textilis is a cultivar grown in Nigeria.
• Wild species :
1. Subsp. dekindtiana
2. Subsp. mensensis 45
46. Cowpea is a warm weather and drought resistant crop. It can
withstand heat better than most other legumes, but not cold or
frost. It is the most important pulse crop, particularly in
regions with low rainfall.
In Africa, about 98% of the crop is sown intermixed with
sorghum and millets, while it may also be grown in rotation
with maize or cotton. The crop is mostly grown by traditional
methods throughout the world. It matures within 60 – 70 days
depending upon the cultivar.
The mature seeds are an important pulse whereas the
immature tender pods are eaten fresh, frozen or canned. In
Africa, the young shoots and leaves are eaten like spinach. The
seeds may be used as concentrate for farm animals. The crop
is used as hay, pasture, soil cover and green manure. The
fodder is highly palatable to all types of livestock.
The dried seeds contain approximately 24.6% protein.
46
47. Cowpea Genetic Resources
• International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA),
Ibadan, Nigeria houses the world’s largest collection
of cowpea with over 15000 unique accessions from 88
countries around the globe. It holds about 70%
landraces from Africa. Storage of the seeds is at
Svalbard (Global Seed Vault, a facility built in a
mountain deep inside the permafrost on a remote
island in the Arctic Circle, commonly called as
Doomsday Vault).
• Improved cowpea lines from IITA released for seed
multiplication in India are TVu 1977-01D (VITA-4),
TVu 1502, TV x 1843-01C
• An International Cowpea Disease Nursery (ICDN)
programme was started to identify stable resistance
against major diseases.
47
48. Cowpea Genetic Resources
• National Programme :
Breeding for grain type cowpeas was part of All India
Coordinated Pulses Improvement Project which has been
upgraded to “Directorate of Pulses Research” in 1984.
Now, it is Indian Institute of Pulses Research at Kanpur.
However, now it has been included in the ICAR
Coordinated Project on “Underutilized and
Underexplored Crops”. The programme of breeding
vegetable type varieties comes under All India Vegetable
Improvement Project which too has been upgraded to
“Project Directorate” level with effect from 1986. Now, it
is headquartered at Varanasi as Indian Institute of
Vegetable Research. The fodder cowpea programme is
coordinated by the project coordinating unit located at
Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi.
48
49. A page of Vigna from
the book Manual of
Cultivated Plants by
L.H.Bailey
pg. no. - 576
49
50. Utility types
i. Vegetable type
ii. Dual-1 (vegetable + seed) type
iii. Seed type (pulse type)
iv. Dual-2 (seed + fodder) type
v. Fodder type
vi. Dual-3 (fodder + vegetable) type
50
51. Botanical features
• Cowpea is an annual herbaceous
legume that can reach more than 80 cm
in height.
• Some varieties grow upright, while
others have procumbent stems, often
tinged with purple, that trail along
ground.
• Large dark green trifoliate leaves
provide a good ground cover that helps
conserve soil moisture.
51
52. • The flowers occur in alternate pairs
and range in colour from dull white to
yellow or lavender.
• They open in the early morning, close
by about mid day and then wilt and
die.
• Depending on the specific cultivar, the
pods can be curved, straight or even
coiled and the seeds may be solid
colours (red, black, brown, tan or
white) or speckled, spotted, marbled. 52
53. • The seeds vary in shape from
kidney-shaped to round, depending
on how tightly packed they are in
the pod.
• Two of the most well known
varieties are ‘Black-eyed’ (white
with a black spot where the seed
was attached to the pod) and
‘Crowder’ (so-called because the
seeds are crowded together in the
pods).
53
57. Vegetative characters
• Habit: low growing, vigorously
bushy or trailing annual herb
attaining a height of about 0.9-1.5
m.
• Roots: Branched strong deep tap
root system with nodules.
• Stem: Green, branched, spreading
cylindrical, hollow, hairless; the
main stem to about 1 cm thick;
trailing and twining stems
somewhat thinner. 57
58. • Leaves: The trifolilate leaves
with the terminal leaflet
symmetrical, and the remaining
pair more or less triangular to
egg-shaped, about 10 cm long
and 7 or 8 cm wide. Develop
alternately pinnately, compound,
with a swollen leaf base known
as pulvinus.
• Venation: Reticulate, unicostate.
Vegetative characters
58
59. Floral characters
• Flower: Bisexual and complete,
zygomorphic, hypogynous, white,
purple or violet in color.
• Inflorescence: Racemose
• Calyx: Sepals usually (5), two are large
and three small which make 2+3
arrangement of sepals, valvate
aestivation.
• Corolla: Petals usually 5, polypetalous
(butterfly like), vexillary.
59
67. Tits bits of cowpea
• DNP ; Vegetable meat
• International year of pulses – 2016
• Paraheliotrophy movement – leaf lamina of
cowpea grows or tilts slightly towards the sun.
• Photoinsensitive varieties – can be grown in
summer and rainy season both. Mostly bush types.
Eg. Arka Samrudhi.
• Photothermoinsensitive varieties – can be grown
throughout the year. Eg. Pusa Rituraj.
• Recommendation by ICAR - 15 ppm MH just
before flowering increases pod set by 30%.
• Cowpea is likely to herald “green revolution” in
Africa.
67
68. Tits bits of cowpea
• Maruca testulatis or Maruca vitrata – pod borer
most serious pest of cowpea.
• ANF – Protease inhibitor ; Oligosaccharides
• High monosaccharide : polysaccharide ratio is
needed in cowpea.
• Cowpea breeding – International Institute of
Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria.
• Strictly self pollinated crop because flower opens
between 7 – 9 a.m. but anther dehiscence is early
between 10 to 12:45 a.m. hence, the crop is
cleistogamous.
• Pedigree method of breeding is the most common
method used by cowpea breeders.
68
70. Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.
Synonymous: Lobia, Black eye
pea, Kathir pea, China pea, sothern
pea & vegetable meat
Day neutral plant
Adopted to poor soil fertility and
vey little rainfall
Shade tolerant (inter cropping
systems )
Ground cover (moisture, weed,
soil erosion )
Increase soil fertility (N fixation )
71. • Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) originated in Africa and is
widely grown in Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia
and in the southern United States.
• 90% of the total world acreage in Africa.
• In India, it is grown in central and peninsular regions,
Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh,
Gujarat and West Bengal.
• Cowpea is grown throughout the country for green pod
(as vegetable), grain and fodder.
• This crop can be grown in kharif and summer season in
North India, while in South India it is grown throughout
the year.
72. Uses:
• Cowpea is grown for its tender pods and dry seeds.
• The pods are rich in protein, vitamin-B and
minerals.
• It is also used as a fodder and green manure crop.
• Cowpea seed is a nutritious component in the
human diet, as well as a nutritious livestock feed.
• The seed is reported to contain 24% crude protein,
53% carbohydrates, and 2% fat (FAO, 2012).
• It has also been used successfully as ground cover
in orchards and inter cropped with cash crops such
as cotton.
73. Uses of cowpea
• Quick green manure
• IPM insectary crop – most susceptible to pod borer
hence, used as a trap crop to protect Indian bean.
• Companion crop
• Seed and feed options
• Low moisture need
• Cultivars for diverse niches
• Weed-smothering biomass- Drilled or broadcast
cowpea plantings quickly shade the soil to block out
weeds.
75. Climate
• Cowpea can grow in tropical and sub-tropical climate.
• It is a warm season crop and drought-hardy but can not
tolerate cold weather.
• Germination of cowpea is better between 12-15°C,
whereas proper growth and development takes place
between 27-350 C .
• Cowpea can grow both in spring and rainy season in
the plains. Some of its varieties can be grown as a
rainfed crop.
• A well distributed rainfall of 75 to 99 cm during its
growth period is the best for its cultivation.
76. Soil
• Cowpea grows well on a wide range of soils
including poor soils with low pH (soil pH is in the
range of 5.5 to 6.5.). However, saline and alkali soils
are not suitable.
• Sandy loam, silt loam and loamy soils are the best
suited for its cultivation. Well drained soils rich in
organic matter are very good for its cultivation.
77. Land preparation
• The field for cowpea is prepared in such a way that it
retains sufficient soil moisture required for seed
germination.
• Also, there should be proper aeration in soil for active
bacterial activities and plant root development.
• After giving pre-sowing irrigation, the field is
ploughed twice or thrice with a soil turning plough.
Then it is harrowed and planked to conserve soil
moisture.
• Farm yard manure is mixed in soil during the last
ploughing.
78. Sowing :
• In Gujarat condition, the cowpea grown in July-August
or for summer crop grown in February.
• Cowpea should not be planted until soil temperatures are
consistently above 65°F (17.5º C) and soil moisture is
adequate for germination and growth.
• Seeds will decay in cool, wet soils.
Spacing :
• Traditionally, in Gujarat it has been seeded in rows
spaced 45×15 cm or 45×30cm in the row.
• Seed should be planted 1 inch deep and good seed-soil
contact is important.
80. Seed Rate :
Seed rate for vegetable purpose-15kg/ha
Fodder Purpose -35-45 Kg /ha
Green Manuring Crop -35-40 Kg/ha
Emergence is epigeal (similar to common bean, and lupin) where
the cotyledons emerge from the ground during germination.
Fertilizer application:
• Recommendation by G.A.U for cowpea 10 to 15 t/hectare FYM
and N-20, P-40Kg/ha. Full dose of N at basal dose and P in two
split.
• Cowpea, like all legumes, forms a symbiotic relationship with a
specific soil bacterium (Rhizobium spp.).
• Rhizobium makes atmospheric nitrogen available to the plant by
a process called nitrogen fixation.
81. Irrigation:
Cowpeas are grown under both irrigated and
non-irrigated regions.
Cowpea is more drought resistant than
common bean. If irrigation is used, more
vegetative growth and some delay in maturity
may result.
The most critical moisture requiring period is
just prior to and during bloom.
83. GUJARAT COWPEA-1
• Characteristics : Plant
Height 40-45 Cm
• Maturity: Early
• Branches Per Plant : 6-7,
• Pods per plant :15-20,
• Pods Thin With Translucent
Pod Cover,
• Pod length: 14-16 Cm
Long, Whitish Green,
• Seeds Per Pod: 10-12
• Single Pod Bearing Habit.
• Kidney Shaped seed and
White In Colour,
• 1000 Seeds Weight is 76 gm
GUJARAT COWPEA-2
• Characteristics Plant Hieght
65-70 Cms.,
• Branches/Plant 4-6,
• No. Of Pods Per/Plant 20-25,
• Pod Characteristics-thin Short
Pods With Pointed Tip.,
• Pod Bearing Habit-single Pod
Remain Upright Above Leaf
Canopy,
• Pod Length 10-12 cm
• Seed/Pod 12-14,
• Pod Colour-yellowish Brown
When Matured
• Seed Colour-yellowish
• 1000 Seed Weight is 65 gm
• Average Yield: Kharif 11-12
Summer 17.50 To18.50
84. GUJARAT COWPEA-4
(GC-4)
• Suitable For Kharif Season
(Rainfed ) In Gujart State.
• Plant Height : 35 -45 ;
• Av. No Of Pods /Plant : 10-
15;
• Av. No Of Seed /Pod : 9-10;
• 100 Seeds Weight : 13.9-
14.1;
• seed Colour : White
• Maturity: Early Group.
• Average Yield:
• Commercial Product : 1200-
1500 ;
• Seed Product : 1100-1300
Pusa Barsati
• It is an early maturing dwarf
variety with long pods.
• The green pods get ready for
first picking after 45 days of
sowing.
• It suits best to rainy season.
85. Pusa Komal:
• Developed by hybridization
of P-85-2 and P-426 cowpea
strains.
• It is widely adapted,
resistant to bacterial blight
and gives higher pod yield.
• Mature pods shrivel and do
not shatter. The yield of
green pods is 172
quintals/hectare.
86. • It is recommended for
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh,
Delhi, Madhya Pradesh.
• Its plants are dwarf, bushy
• Matures in about 65 days.
• Its yield is about 50-60
quintals green
pods/hectare.
Pusa phalguni
Pusa Phalguni
87. Pusa Sukomal:
• Plants semi dwarf and erect;
• pods light green, round,
meaty, less fibrous, around
30 cm long and 1 cm thick.
• Maturity in 42-45 days
during kharif and 55-60
days during summer.
• Highly resistant to golden
yellow mosaic virus and leaf
spot disease.
• Year of release: 2005
• Yield : 6.2-6.6 t/ha
88. Pusa 578:
• Year of release: 2005
• It is resistant to yellow
mosaic virus.
• It matures in about 90
days.
• Yield : 1.2t/ha
89. Pusa Sampada (V
585)
• Year of release: 1999
• It is resistant to yellow
mosaic virus.
• It matures in about 100
days
• Yield : 0.86t/ha
90. Arka Garima
Plants are tall, photo
insensitive.
Pods are light green,
long, thick, round,
fleshy and stringless.
Suitable for vegetable
purpose.
Tolerant to heat and low
moisture stress.
Pod Yield 18 t/ha.
91. Pusa Dofasli
This variety can be grown in spring, summer and
kharif seasons.
Pusa Rituraj
This variety is grown mostly in North Indian states.
It can be grown successfully during kharif as well as
in summer seasons.
It is best suited for vegetable purpose and gets ready
within 40-50 days after sowing.
CO-I and CO-2
It is a semi-spreading variety which takes about 100
days to mature.
92. Kashi Shyamal
• Golden mosaic virus
tolerant
• Recommended for U.P.,
Punjab, and Jharkhand,
notified through Central
Variety Release
Committee.
93. Kashi Gauri
This is a bush type, dwarf,
Photo-insensitive
Early variety suitable for
growing in both spring-
summer and rainy seasons.
Flowering starts in 35-38
days and pods get ready for
harvest in 45-48 days after
sowing.
The cultivaris resistant to
golden mosaic virus and
Pseudocercospora cruenta,
Green pod yield of about
100-120 q/ ha.
94. Kashi Unnati
This is a photo-insensitive variety.
Plants of this variety are dwarf
and bushy, height 40-50 cm,
branches 4-5 per plant,
Early flowering (30-35 days after
sowing),
First harvesting at 40-45 days
after sowing, produces 40-45 pods
per plant.
Pods are 30-35cm long, light
green, soft, fleshy and free from
parchment.
The cultivar is resistant to golden
mosaic virus and
Pseudocercospora cruenta,
Green pod yield of about 125-150
q/ ha.
95. Kashi Kanchan
This is dwarf and bush type
(height 50-60 cm),
Photo insensitive,
Early flowering (40-45 days after
sowing) and early picking (50-55
days after sowing)
Suitable for growing in both
spring-summer and rainy seasons.
Pods are about 30-35cm long,
dark green, soft, fleshy and free
from parchment.
The cultivar gives green pod yield
of about 150-175 q/ ha
Resistant to golden mosaic virus
and Pseudocercospora cruenta.
96. Kashi Sudha
• Golden mosaic virus
and Pseudocercospora
cruenta tolerant,
• Identified for UP, Bihar,
Jharkhand, Bihar,
Andhra Pradesh, Orissa,
Chattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh and Maharastra
by AICRP-VC
97. Other varieties :
• Arka Suman
• Arka Samrudhi – photoinsensitive
• Phillipines early – introduced
• Vyjayanthi – long wine red coloured pods
• Arka Garima – used for green manuring
• Arka Suman
• Arka Samrudhi
98. Weed Control
• Adequate weed control is necessary for good
growth and high yields.
• Two hand weeding is required before earthing up.
Mechanical:
• Use of the rotary hoe and row cultivator in cowpea.
Chemical:
• A pre-sowing application of Fluchloralin @ 2
litre/ha check the weed growth for 20-25 days.
99. PLANT PROTECTION
Pests
Leaf miner
• This insect lays eggs on tile surface of leaves.
Control - Spraying With 0.07% Endosulfan emulsion is effective in
killing the larvae.
Bean beetle
• The adult and larvae cut the leaves and tender stems.
• Control- Spray crop with 0.2% sevin.
Pod borer
• The caterpillars first feed on tile pods bore into them and feed on
the seeds.
• Pod borer can be controlled by spraying Quinalphos 25 EC @
2ml/lit.
100. Maruca testulalis
Now known as Maruca vitrata, also known as mung moth
Damage:
Round holes are produced in corrolla of the flower by the larvae.
The pods are distorted by large or larvae and affected by frass.
The larvae feed on the bud and flowers and born into the pod to eat the
developing seeds.
The flowers and pods are bound together by frass covered web produced by the
larva in 24 hours.
Seeds within damaged pods are totally or partially eaten out by bean or pod
borer larvae.
Entry holes also let in water, which strains the remaining non-eaten seeds.
Bean or pod borer moth active at night but shelter within the plant canopy
during the day.
Crops are invaded at the beginning of flowering.
Frass: Fine powdery refuse or fragrile perforated wood produced by the activity of
boring insects. The extrement of insect larvae.
103. Diseases
Yellow mosaic (vector -
Whitefly)
Control
Rouge out the affected
plants as soon as they
noticed in the field.
Spray Metasystox @ 1
litre/hectare dissolved in
1000 litres of water to
check the whitefly.
Yellow mosaic virus
104. Cowpea leaf spot disease
Cercospora leaf spot
(Cercospora spp. )
Control:
Remove all the affected
plants and bum them.
Spray any of the
following fungicides.
Dithane Z- 78 @ 2 kg in
1000 litres of water/
hectare, or
Dithane M-45 @ 2 kg in
800 litres of water/hectare.
105. Bacterial blight (Xanthonwnas viginicola)
Control
Grow resistant varieties such as K-ll, T-26, T-5826, P-78,
P-309. P-426 and P-1327.
In case of severe infection crop may be sprayed with
0.2% Fytolan.
Cowpea tip necrosis
Control
• It can be controlled by treating the plants with some
systemic chemicals like Disulfoton or Thimate.
Powdery mildew (Erysiphe polygoni )
Control
• controlled by dusting Sulphur 25 kg/ha or spray Wettable
sulphur 2 g/lit.
107. Breeding objective of cowpea
High yield potential
Tolerance/resistance to both biotic and abiotic
stresses
Grain characteristics preferred by consumers
and producers
Early maturity
Plant type (erect, semi-erect)
Good adoptability (drought, heat)
108. Seed Standard
Factor Standards for each class
Foundation Certified
Pure seed (minimum) 98.00% 98.00%
Inert matter (maximum) 2.00% 2.00%
Weed seed (maximum) None 0.10%
Other kinds including other
varieties (maximum)
0.05% 0.20%
Other crop seed (maximum) None 0.10%
Total germination and hard
seed (minimum)
80.00% 80.00%
109. More about cowpea
Also known as : Black eye pea, Kathir pea, China pea,
southern pea & vegetable meat.
Botanical name –Vigna unguiculata (L.)
Ancestor of cowpea - Vigna unguiculata var. mensensii
Family –Fabaceae
Origin –Central Africa
Chromosome no.: 2n =22
Mode of Pollination – self pollination
Protein content in cowpea pod 11.4%
Protein content in cowpea seed 23-28.75%
Germination of seed epigeal nature
110. More about cowpea
Day neutral plant
Shallow rooted vegetable crop
Grown as cash crop
Drought tolerant crop
Sensitive to water logging
Vegetable cowpea –Immature pods as a vegetable
Most common method of breeding –pedigree method
Resistance to pod borer - Vigna unguiculata var. biflora
Dual purpose of cowpea -Vigna unguiculata var.cylindrica
Dual purpose variety- Pusa Rituraj
Summer season variety-Pusa Phalguni
Both season variety-Pusa Dofsali
Rainy season variety-Pusa Barsati
111. More about cowpea
Pusa Komal (Pusa Rituraj X P-246) Resistant to
bacterial blight
Seed rate for vegetable purpose-15kg/ha
Fodder Purpose -35-45 Kg /ha
Green Manuring Crop -35-40 Kg/ha
Spacing – 60 x 30 cm; 45 x 30 cm
Fertilizer -20:40:00 NPK/ha
Harvesting – 45-55 days after sowing, 5-7 days interval
Yield - 6 – 7 t. dry seed/ha.
12 – 15 t. green pod/ha.
Pest - Pod borer, Bean beetle, Leaf minor
Disease –Powdery mildew, cowpea mosaic virus
112. Important Term
Pulse:
Derived from the latin word puls meaning thick soup or
portage.
Refers only to the dried seed.
Pulse are the edible seeds of plants in the legume family.
Some times called as “Grain Legumes”
Dried peas, edible beans, lentil and chickpea are most
common varieties of pulse.
Pulse do not include fresh beans or peas. Although they are
related to pulses because they are also edible seeds of podded
plants.
Like many leguminous crops rotation due to their ability to fix
nitrogen.
To support the awareness on this matter the United
Nations declared 2016 the UN International year of Pulses.
113. Legume
A fruit of simple dry fruit that develop from a simple
carpel and usually dehiscent on two sides.
The term legume refers to the plants whose fruit is
enclosed in pod.
Legume represent a vast family of plants including
more than 600 genera and more than 13000 species.
Fix nitrogen into soil which reduce need for
chemical fertilizer.
e.g. Alfa Alfa, Clover, Fresh peas, Lupins.
Common name is pod.
114. Forage:
Is a plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten
by grazing livestock.
Forage crop is used to define crops, annual or biennial,
which are grown to be utilized by grazing or harvesting
as a whole crop.
Fodder:
Is any agricultural foodstuff and specially to feed
domesticated livestock, such as cattle, goats, sheeps,
horses, chickens and pigs.
Fodder refers partially to food given to the animals
(including plants cuts and carried to them).
It includes hay, straw, silage, compressed and peelleted
feeds, oils and mixed rations, and sprouted grains and
legumes.
115. Lomentum
Is a type of indehiscent legume fruit that
breaks apart at constrictions occurring between
segments, so that each segments contains one
seed.
It is a type of schizocarp.
116. References
Glaustas Horticulture by P. Muthukumar
Manual of Cultivated Plants by L. H. Bailey pg. 550-593 ; 576
Hand book of Horticulture by K. L. Chadha
Textbook of Vegetables, Tubercrops and Spices by S Thumburaj and Narendra Singh (pg –
206 – 211)
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/chhabra61-532432-flower-structure-of-cowpea/
http://gujecostat.gujarat.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/HorticultureInGujarat2011-
12_2012-13_2.pdf
Modern Techniques Of Raising Field Crops by Chhidda Singh , Prem Singh And Rajbir Singh
Text Book of Botany by M. P. Singh and A. K. Sharma
Objective vegetable science by R. Arun Kumar and R. Kamal Kumar
A Classbook of Botany A.C. Dutta pg 75 ; pg. no. 500
Instant Horticulture by S.N. Gupta , 11th revised edition 2015; pg - 106
Crop Breeding and Biotechnology by Hari Har Ram pg. 327-341
