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Vigna unguiculata ssp. unguiculata

Authority	(L.) Walp.
Family	Magnoliopsida:Rosidae:Fabales:Leguminosae
Synonyms
Common names	black-eyed pea, cow pea, cowpea, crowder pea, southern pea
Editor
Ecocrop code	10835

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A spreading, suberect or erect, prostrate or climbing herbaceous legume reaching 15-80 cm in height with white or purple flowers and 10-30 cm long pods. USES The seeds, shelled green or dried, are edible and used as stock food or in soups. The pulses can be ground into meal or roasted as a substitute for coffee. Plant leaves are high in vitamin A. Young pods and leaves are eaten as green vegetables. The plant is used for pasture, hay, silage and green manure. KILLING TEMP Mature plants cannot tolerate frost and young plants are susceptible to various injuries when exposed to 5-10°C for 24 hours. GROWING PERIOD Annual, that produce pods in 60-160 days and seeds in 90-180 or up to 240 days. Flowers in early summer and fruits in mid and late summer. COMMON NAMES Cowpea, Southern pea, Black-eyed pea, Black-eye bean, Crowder pea, China pea, Pois a vache, Dolique de vaca, Judia tropical, Waken gizo, Gayan gayan, Mkundemwitu, Cowgram, Catjang, Adagura, Adoguari, Afunat habakar, Agwa, Akide enu, Akidiani, Ambalophassula, Amuli, Atera argobba, Bannette, Barbata, Batong, Boo-ngor, Calavance, Callivance, Catjangbohne, Caupi, Chaula, Chavli, Chicharo de vaca, Chowlee, Chowli, Cornfield pea, Coupe, Dagarti bean, Dau den, Dau tang, Dau xa, Dau tua, Digir, Dinawa, Dolico, Dolique de Chine, Dolique indigene, Dolique mongette, Dolique mougette, Eka-wohe, Enkoole, Enkoore, Ere, Ervilha de vaca, Fagiolino dall'occhio, Fasolea-dima, Feijao brabham, Feijao de China, Feijao de corda, Feijao fradinho, Feijao makunda, Frijol carti, Frijol de ojo negro, Frijol precioso, Gaisa, Halifax pea, Haricot a oeil noir, Haricot dolique, Harricot indigene, Haricot kunde, Hindu pea, Ilanda, Imare, Indian pea, Kachang bol, Kachang panjang, Kachang tunggak, Kachang tonggak, Kacang merah, Kaffer boon, Kaffir bean, Karakala, Katjang merah, Kibal, Kunde, Laputu, Lobia, Loputa, Lubia, Lubya baladi, Marble pea, Me-karal, Ngeri, Nguno, Niebe, Nori, Nyemba bean, Nyorai, Omugobe, Otang, Otong, Paythenkai, Pois de Brazil, Poncho, Poona pea, Porotito del ojo, Sandaek kang, Sandaek engkuy, Sai dau-kok, Sasage, Thwax do, Taukok, Thattapayru, Tonkin pea, Tua dam, Vigna einese, Voamba, Voehm, Voeme, Wuch. FURTHER INF Scientific synonym: V. sinensis, Dolichos unguiculatus, D. sinensis. Cowpea is almost certainly of tropical African origin. It is grown between 30°N and S and it can in East Africa be grown at altitudes up to about 1500 m. Soils of high fertility usually result in high yields of hay, but poor seed yields, while on light sandy soils heavy infestation of nematodes is liable to occur. Cowpea is susceptible to diseases under humid conditions. The optimal photoperiod for induction of flowering is from 8-14 hours. Photosynthesis pathway C3 II. Seed yields in Africa are often as low as 100-300 kg/ha, although experimental yields of up to 4 t/ha have been reported. Mentioned as a useful agroforestry species.
Sources
SOURCES (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. subp. unguiculata) Sims D (pers. comm.) Landon J 1984 pp 281 [TEXT, DRA, DEP, PH, FER, SAL] Maas E 1990 pp 271 Roecklein J 1987 pp 152 [USE] Eswaran H 1986 Kay D 1979 pp 86-114 [TEMP, KTMP, RAIN, TEXT, DRA, FER, SAL, PH] Skerman P 1988 pp 477-483 [TEMP, KTMP, RAIN, DRA, TEXT, PH, SAL] Hackett C 1982 pp 55 [FER, PHO, DEP, PH, TEXT, TEMP] Duke J 1981 pp 302-306 [DRA, FER, LIG, TEXT, KTMP, PHO, PH, RAIN, TEMP] Nair P 1980 pp 79-82 [RAIN, TEMP, TEXT, FER, DRA, USE] Van Waveren E 1993 pp 19 Onwueme I 1991 pp 292-298 [RAIN, TEXT, PH, FER] Langer R 1991 pp 277-279 [TEXT, DRA, PHO] IBPGR 1984 pp 239 Ahlgren G 1956 pp 148-152 [TEMP, KTMP, LIG, DRA, FER, TEXT, USE] Maesen L 1989 pp 77-81 [USE, PHO, TEMP, TEXT, PH, DRA]