What are the latest precautions for growing cowpeas?

Cowpea, also known as the long bean we often talk about, contains nutrients that are mostly vitamins. Even though it can be eaten raw directly, if it is cooked until only half-done, it can cause poisoning. These days we all quite enjoy eating pickled long beans, especially in summer, and they also have the effect of relieving heat, so basically many people grow cowpeas. Today, Qinnongwang wants to tell everyone about some issues that need attention when growing cowpeas. Let's take a look below.

1. Choose good varieties

There are now at least dozens, if not hundreds, of cowpea varieties, but each cowpea variety has its own advantages. For example, some have high yield, some have good quality, some have strong disease resistance, and so on. These are actually determined by the local environment. In fact, cowpea varieties are all quite good; it is just that their growth performance differs in different environments. So we need to choose seeds according to the local climate. Next, pay attention to understanding market conditions, see which cowpea variety is more popular and more competitive, and choose the variety with the greatest economic value for planting.

2. Seed treatment

Cowpea seeds are collected from mature bean pods, so before planting we need to treat the seeds. First, we take the seeds out of the pods, remove impurities, then soak the seeds in medicinal solution for about twenty minutes, take them out, rinse them three or four times with clean water, drain the water, and place them at a suitable temperature for germination. After most of the seeds have sprouted, they can be sown in the field. This can greatly increase the seed emergence rate and at the same time enhance the resistance of the seeds.

3. Reasonable density

When growing cowpeas, be sure to pay attention to reasonable density. Otherwise, if planting is too dense, many bean seedlings will not get sunlight, which reduces the chance of pod formation. In severe cases, it may even cause cowpea seedlings to die. Second, the purpose of this is also to enhance field ventilation so that the field does not look so gloomy. The best planting density is a spacing of thirty centimeters between each plant and fifty centimeters between each row, so they have a certain space to spread out.

4. Watering and fertilizing

We need to water according to the growth of the bean seedlings. If they are bean seedlings that have just emerged not long ago, then basically water about once every week. But after the bean seedlings grow, watering needs to be done according to the field humidity. If the soil is relatively dry, then watering is needed; if there is a lot of rain, then drainage is needed. However, when the bean seedlings are flowering and forming pods, they need more water. After planting, one fertilization is needed, mainly using urea. When the plants grow to about forty centimeters, a second fertilization is needed. This fertilization generally uses manure and urine water. The third fertilization should be when the plants flower, and we can choose to use potassium fertilizer and phosphorus fertilizer. Because cowpeas are harvested in batches, after each harvest we must fertilize once to promote the growth of the next batch of cowpeas.

5. Pruning and trellising

In order to increase the pod-setting rate of cowpeas, we need to prune and trellis the bean seedlings when they reach a certain stage. Generally, when the bean seedlings grow to forty or fifty centimeters high, we should set up a support beside them and let the bean seedlings grow along the support. This can not only increase yield but also reduce some pests and diseases. When the bean seedlings begin to form cowpeas, we can remove the leaves in some places where growth is relatively dense. This can increase density, enhance air permeability between cowpea seedlings, and make disease less likely.