Production guidelines for cowpeas - Classification
Scientific name:Vigna unguiculata
Common names: Arikaans: akkerboon, swartbekboon, boontjie, koertjie, dopboontjie; English: cowpea, bachapin bean, black-eye bean or pea, catjang, china pea, cowgram, southernpea; Sepedi: dinawa (plural), monawa, nawa; Shangaan: dinaba, munaoa, tinyawa; Setswana: dinawa, nawa-ea-setswana; Tshivenda: munawa (plant), nawa (fruit); isiZulu: imbumba, indumba, isihlumaya
Cowpea, important for food and feed
Cowpea, popularly known as blackeye pea, is an important grain legume in South Africa and many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.
The attributes of Cowpea
The trading of seeds and processed foods from cowpea provides both urban and rural opportunities for earning regular income. the aboveground plant parts of cowpea, except the pods, are utilized for animal fodder.
Cultivating cowpeas - A compact guide
Cowpeas is indigenous to Africa. It is also known as dinawe (Ndebele), dinaba (Shangaan), imbumba (Zulu), monawa or nawa (Pedi) and dinawa (Tswana).
Cowpeas is a protein-rich bean crop that leaves nitrogen in the soil and therefore has a beneficial effect on the follow-up crop.
Cowpeas can be planted as an intercrop or in rotation and can tolerate drought.
Uses for cowpeas:
The leaves and growth points can be picked and used as a vegetable dish.
The leaves can be dried and used as a meat substitute. About one kilogram cowpeas is a full meal.
The green seeds are sometimes roasted like peanuts and these are then used as a substitute for coffee.
Ground dried seeds mixed with onions and spices can be fried in oil.
The seeds can also be cooked.
It can be used as green manure.
It can be planted for hay production.
Silage can be made by mixing the green leaves with sorghum or maize.
Cowpeas can be planted for hay production and the hay can be sold.
