How to Fertilize Cowpeas for High Yield? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Methods
Cowpea is the bean we often eat in our daily lives. Cowpea is rich in nutrients and is also grown on a relatively large area in our country. When growing cowpea, we need to do a good job with fertilization to meet the nutritional needs of cowpea growth, increase the yield, and improve the quality of cowpea. So how should cowpea be fertilized to achieve high yield? Below, the editor will give you a brief introduction. Let's take a look together!
1. Apply sufficient base fertilizer
Although cowpea has a relatively large demand for nutrients during growth, its tolerance to fertilizer is relatively poor. Before planting, we should choose the planting soil well, mainly soil with sufficient fertility, good permeability, and normal drainage and irrigation. , nitrogen fertilizer. Cowpea has the greatest demand for phosphate fertilizer throughout its entire growth period. Therefore, when applying base fertilizer, attention should be paid to appropriately increasing the proportion of phosphate fertilizer, followed by potassium fertilizer. However, it is mainly based on fully decomposed farmyard manure. When applying base fertilizer, control the amount well according to the planting area. Farmyard manure is generally 2500kg/mu, and superphosphate is 30kg/mu.
2. Points to note when applying base fertilizer
The growth capacity and growth period of cowpea are both relatively long, and its rhizobia are not very well developed. Therefore, we should control the amount of fertilizer applied according to the soil fertility and other factors. If the soil quality is good, fertility is high, and a large amount of fertilizer was applied when the previous crop was planted, then the amount of base fertilizer can be appropriately reduced. On the contrary, we need to increase the amount of base fertilizer. After applying the base fertilizer, it should be fully mixed with the soil, and beds should be made and ridges formed. Then apply other fertilizers to improve soil fertility and promote the growth of cowpea.
3. Control first, then promote
Applying sufficient base fertilizer can enhance the growth capacity of cowpea rhizobia. To promote flower bud differentiation, before cowpea enters the flowering and podding stage, there are no very strict requirements for water and fertilizer. Therefore, water and fertilizer management should mainly focus on control. If sufficient base fertilizer has been applied, then no additional fertilization may be needed. This is because if there are too many nutrients from fertilizer, it can very easily cause excessive vegetative growth in cowpea, raise the position of the inflorescence nodes, and create the phenomenon of empty vines. After entering the flowering and podding stage, then appropriately adjust and change control to promotion, so as to promote the growth of cowpea.
4. Topdressing during the podding stage
After cowpea has set pods and the inflorescences appear, topdress once appropriately, mainly with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers, and carry it out together with watering. After entering the podding stage, mainly keep the soil moist. Water and fertilize about once every half a month to ensure normal plant growth. During the podding stage, topdress with about 1000kg of farmyard manure per mu, and apply urea once every two harvests to increase the pod-setting rate. After flowering, we should also appropriately spray foliar fertilizer to advance the maturity time of cowpea and increase the yield.
The above is a brief introduction to high-yield fertilization methods for cowpea. The fertilization work for cowpea is very important and is closely related to both yield and quality, so everyone must pay close attention to it. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and we hope it can help everyone!