Cowpea (Lobia Beans) Hybrid Seeds

Cowpea (Lobia Beans) is grown for its long, green pods to be cooked as vegetables or dry seeds for use as a pulse, they are very healthy for our bodies. Lobia beans are very easy to grow in balconies, home gardens, or terrace gardens. Cowpea is a herbaceous annual legume. is a major food crop in the semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia, due to its ability to grow in sandy soil and receive low rainfall It requires few inputs because the plant’s root nodules can fix atmospheric nitrogen, making it a valuable crop for resource-constrained farmers and well-suited to intercropping with other crops. The entire plant is used as forage for livestock, and its use as cattle feed is most likely responsible for the plant’s name. Cowpea is an annual herbaceous legume that grows in the warm season. Plants are sometimes classified as erect, semi-erect, prostrate (trailing), or ascending. Cowpea is a taproot plant in general. Cowpea seed can range in size from very small wild types to nearly 14 in. long, with 1600 to 4300 seeds per pound. Crop form is an important factor in seed growth in the pod. If the seeds are not contained inside the pod, they form a kidney shape. When seed growth is stifled by the pod, the seed becomes increasingly globular. When the seeds reach the green-mature stage and are ready to be used as a vegetable, the pods can take on a distinctive color, most commonly green, yellow, or purple. When the seeds dry, they are tan or brown in green and yellow colour.

Uses of Cowpea Seeds – Open Pollinated

• The leaves and shoots can be harvested as a vegetable.
• Used as a meat alternative, the leaves can be air-dried and reconstituted. One kilogram of cowpeas provides the required calories for a meal.
• The green seeds are sometimes roasted in the same manner as peanuts and then used as a substitute for coffee.
• Ground dried seeds can be fried in oil with onions and spices.
• Additionally, the seeds can be fried.
• It is suitable for use as green manure.
• It can be used to grow hay.
• Green leaves can be combined with sorghum or maize to make silage.
• Cowpeas can be planted to produce hay, which can then be sold.

Cowpea Plant Care Tips

• Soil: Cowpea prefers well-drained soil that is slightly acidic (Ph 6.0 to 7.0).
• Sunlight: The plant needs full sunlight every day (at least 6 to 8 hours of direct light) but partial shade is also suitable for growing cowpea.
• Temperature: Optimum growing temperature for cowpea (lobia) is 25- 37°C.
• Water: Cowpea requires regular watering during the growing season, try not to get the leaves wet; Keep the soil moist in dry weather.
• Common pests and diseases: Certain insects such as aphids, spider mites, bean beetles, and leafhoppers are commonly found in cowpea plants; and some diseases such as powdery mildew and Fusarium wilt infect plants. Use organic insecticide neem oil to avoid these insects and stay free from diseases