Cowpea planting techniques and field management methods

Now many farmers will plant cowpeas in the fields themselves, so how to better manage the cowpea fields?

1. Check and replenish seedlings

When the first pair of primary leaves appear, you should go to the field to check the seedlings and replant them. It is best to sow and grow the replanted seedlings in paper pots in the greenhouse 3-4 days in advance. If the seedlings are transplanted, replanting should be done after the seedlings have recovered.

2. Loosening the soil

When direct seeding, carry out inter-cultivation every 7-10 days after the seedlings have emerged or have recovered after transplanting, to loosen the soil to conserve moisture, let the seedlings grow taller and promote root growth, and stop inter-cultivation after the vines have stretched.

3. Watering and fertilizing

In the early stage of cowpea, it is not advisable to apply too much fertilizer to prevent excessive fertilizer and water from causing leggy growth. Generally, manure water is applied once after the plant is alive. After buds and flowers appear and the harvest begins, the supply of fertilizer and water should be strengthened. Generally, topdressing is applied 2-3 times, and 750-1000 kg of human and animal feces and urine are applied per mu each time.

If it is too rainy to irrigate with manure, 5-10 kg of urea can be applied in the hole between the rows. For autumn planting, it is promoted all the way.

4. Insert the rack

When the plant sprouts vines, you need to insert a rack. Use a herringbone rack or an X-shaped rack. The rack is 2-2.5 meters high and 10-15 cm away from the base of the plant. Insert one in each hole, 15-20 cm deep. When two racks intersect, place a horizontal pole at the intersection of 4/5 of the upper middle part and tie it tightly.

Cowpea vines are usually guided to the rack at noon or in the afternoon on a sunny day. Do not do it when the dew has not dried or when it rains to avoid breaking the vines and leaves. The vines should be guided in a counterclockwise direction.