Cowpea is pronounced [jiāng dòu].

An annual twining, herbaceous vine or suberect herb. Sometimes twining apically. Stem subglabrous. Leaves pinnately compound with 3 leaflets; stipules lanceolate, ca. 1 cm, decurrent into a short spur where inserted, wired; leaflets ovate-rhombic, 5-15 cm long, 4-6 cm wide, apex acute, margins entire or subentire, sometimes lavender, glabrous.

Racemes axillary, long pedicellate; flowers 2-6 clustered at the tip of the inflorescence, often with fleshy dense glands between the pedicels; calyx light green, campanulate, 6-10 mm long, cleft teeth lanceolate. Ovary linear, hairy.

Pods pendulous, erect or obliquely spreading, linear, 7.5-70 (90) cm long, 6-10 mm wide, slightly fleshy and swollen or firm, many-seeded; seeds long ellipsoid or terete or slightly reniform, 6-12 mm long, yellowish-white, dark red or other colors. Fl. May-Aug.

Extended Information

Cowpea originated in tropical Africa and is widely cultivated in China. Cowpea is a dryland crop plant that grows in fertile soils that are deep, loose, and retain fertilizer and water.

The water and nutrient requirements of cowpea vary at different growth stages. In order to ensure the total yield and quality of cowpea, it is necessary to develop an effective fertilizer and water management program based on the growth characteristics of cowpea and its nutrient and water requirements, thus ensuring the efficiency and quality of cowpea production.

For example, during seedling flush, the first irrigation operation is needed to ensure normal growth of the seedling line. At the same time, loosening operations are carried out to facilitate extended root growth.

In the early stages of planting, a certain amount of water needs to be injected for squatting and seedling promotion, and the effective control of water has a positive effect on the growth of cowpea. At the same time, the squatting operation is carried out to ensure that a large amount of water enters the root system, providing sufficient water supply for root growth.