Cowpeas were domesticated in Africa [4] and are one of the oldest crops to be farmed. A second domestication event probably occurred in Asia, before they spread into Europe and the Americas. The seeds are usually cooked and made into stews and curries, or ground into flour or paste. In NSW, cowpeas and lablab are adapted to slopes and plains with a minimum annual rainfall of 500mm, and to coastal or irrigated areas. Soybeans are used mainly as forage crops on the coast. Traditionally, these crops have been grown in the northern half of NSW, where summer rainfall is more predominant. Each crop is suited to specific situations and has special requirements. Table 1. Comparing the characteristics of each crop

Space cowpea seeds 4 to 8 inches apart in the row, and plan to thin them to 1 foot apart as they grow, with at least 30 inches between rows. Alternately, plant bushing varieties in beds with 8 to 12 inches of space between seeds in all directions. Many vining cowpeas top out at 4 feet in height, so plan to construct trellises that are 5 or 6 feet tall to support them. Control weed competition with mulch or light cultivation, taking care not to disturb or damage the vines’ roots.a b c National Research Council (2006). "Cowpea". Lost Crops of Africa: Volume II: Vegetables. Washington DC: The National Academies Press. pp.104–117. doi: 10.17226/11763. ISBN 978-0-309-10333-6. Location, soil type and history of fertiliser application will determine fertiliser needs. Phosphorus The sesquipedalis subspecies arrived in the United States via Asia. It is characterised by unusually long pods, leading to the Latin name ( sesquipedalis means "foot and a half long") and the common names of yardlong bean, asparagus bean, and Chinese long-bean. [18] A selection of different cowpea cultivars displayed in a wooden bowl. Common names of Vigna unguiculata unguiculata cultivar groups Acid Detergent Fibre. This is an estimate of the fibre component of the plant. Generally the lower the figure the better. These lablabs will flower, but do not complete seed development in northern areas of NSW as the plants are usually killed by frost before the pods develop. Seed of these varieties has to be obtained from Queensland each season.

Orobanchol was isolated from the root exudates of red clover as the first germination stimulant for Orobanche minor, together with alectrol ( Yokota et al., 1998). Alectrol had been previously isolated from the root exudates of cowpea as an isomer of strigol and a germination stimulant for Alectra vogelii and S. gesnerioides. A structure for alectrol was proposed based on a detailed comparison of its spectroscopic data with those of strigol ( Müller et al., 1992). Since the isolated amount of orobanchol from red clover was constrained, it was considered to be a strigol-related compound and no specific structure for it was proposed. Following these reports, a series of strigol analogs, including the tentative structures of orobanchol and alectrol, were synthesized ( Matsui et al., 1999a, b). The structure 5 was assigned to orobanchol by comparing its 1H NMR spectra and chromatographic behavior in gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, in which the C-ring configuration was consistent with that of strigol ( 2) ( Figure 1). Chiroptical data were not utilized in the structural determination process. After about a decade, alectrol was independently re-isolated from the root exudates of red clover and cowpea ( Matsuura et al., 2008; Xie et al., 2008), and its structure was reported as an acetylated product of synthetic orobanchol ( 6). However, synthetic orobanchol ( 5) and its acetate ( 6) did not induce seed germination in S. gesnerioides ( Ueno et al., 2011a), indicating that the assigned structures of these SLs were controversial. These results triggered the re-isolation of the germination stimulants of S. gesnerioides from the root exudates of cowpea and red clover ( Ueno et al., 2011b). The details of the bioassay-guided re-isolation and unambiguous structural elucidation of these stimulants have been described in a previous review ( Ueno et al., 2015). In brief, two stimulants were isolated from both cowpea and red clover root exudates. The 1H NMR spectra of these stimulants suggested that they were canonical SLs having an oxygen functional group at C-4 in the B-ring. The chromatographic behavior of the stimulants in liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis was inconsistent with that of synthetic orobanchol ( 5) and its acetate ( 6) but consistent with their respective 2′-epimers. Additionally, the circular dichroism spectra of the stimulants were vertically inverted compared with the 2′-epimers of 5 and 6. Therefore, the absolute structures of orobanchol and alectrol were determined to be 1 and 4, respectively ( Figure 1). Iseki, Kohtaro; Takahashi, Yu; Muto, Chiaki; Naito, Ken; Tomooka, Norihiko (2018-06-15). "Diversity of Drought Tolerance in the Genus Vigna". Frontiers in Plant Science. 9: 729. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00729. ISSN 1664-462X. PMC 6014140. PMID 29963062.

Biosynthesis

The ideal time to cut a cowpea crop for hay is at peak flowering, or about 70 - 90 days after sowing. When seasons are suitable and when sown relatively early, the best forage types will regrow after grazing. Grazing should be light to ensure that the plant frame is retained and damage is limited. Seed production The amino acid phenylalanine in Cowpeas may help to preventdepression. The studies have shown that the phenylalanine is effective for the therapy of depression. The mood of the people was improved as they took phenylalanine because the raise in the production of chemicals such as norepinephrine and dopamine.Hence depressionand otherhealth conditions such as migraines and insomnia may preventby adding phenylalanine rich food Cowpeasto your diet. Cowpeas can be sown when danger of frost is over, and when soil temperatures at sowing depth reach 18°C or more over 3 or 4 consecutive days. Earlier sowings usually produce the most feed. Inoculation Witthöft, C.; Hefni, M. (2016). Encyclopedia of Food and Health. Oxford: Academic Press. pp.724–730. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-384947-2.00300-7. ISBN 978-0-12-384953-3. In one trial on cowpeas at Dubbo*, lambs averaged 197g/head/day weight gain over a 30day grazing period. At Coonamble+, first-cross lambs grazing cowpeas gained an average of 177g/head/day over a 60day period. They gained an average 198g/head/day during the first month and declined to 159g/head/day over the last 30days, probably due to a reduced availability of leaf material.

These beneficial bacteria not only support digestive health but also have been shown to reduce inflammation, enhance immune function, and reduce cholesterol levels ( 11). Enhance heart health These legume crops should be rotated with a grass crop to minimise disease buildup and take advantage of increased soil nitrogen. Forage production

Seed production

Gatehouse, Angharad M.R.; Davison, Gillian M.; Newell, Christine A.; Merryweather, Andrew; Hamilton, William D.O.; Burgess, Elisabeth P.J.; Gilbert, Robert J.C.; Gatehouse, John A. (1997). "Transgenic potato plants with enhanced resistance to the tomato moth, Lacanobia oleracea: growth room trials". Molecular Breeding. Springer Science+Business. 3 (1): 49–63. doi: 10.1023/a:1009600321838. ISSN 1380-3743. S2CID 23765916. Big Red Ripper’ is a large-seeded cowpea believed to have originated in Arkansas. It’s a vining variety that requires trellising. It produces large red pods filled with an average of 15 seeds per pod. At 140 days for dry peas, ‘Big Red Ripper’ is a long-season variety. The nett soil nitrogen fixation of a well-nodulated crop will depend on the initial soil nitrogen level, crop dry matter production, and grain yield, as well as the factors mentioned above. Fertiliser Sharma, H. C. (1998). "Bionomics, host plant resistance, and management of the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata" (PDF). Crop Protection. 7 (5): 373–386. doi: 10.1016/s0261-2194(98)00045-3.

Very fertile soils generally do not require any fertiliser, but on less fertile soils, may require 125 - 250 kg/ha of single superphosphate and 50 - 100 kg/ha muriate of potash, depending on soil analysis. Single superphosphate delivers sulphur as well. Molybdenum may be necessary on very acid soils, and zinc on soils with high pH. Management Maintenance fertliser Carly Cassella: Saliva From Hungry Caterpillars Alerts Cowpea Plants to Turn on Their Defenses. On: science alert. 5 December 2020

Soils

The lysine in the cowpea reduces the genital herpes or cold sores and also speeds up the healing process. The daily intake of the cowpeas reduces the chances of recurrence of cold sores. One cup of cowpea provides 0.90 g of lysine which means 27% of DV. Storage of the seeds can be problematic in Africa due to potential infestation by postharvest pests. Traditional methods of protecting stored grain include using the insecticidal properties of Neem extracts, mixing the grain with ash or sand, using vegetable oils, combining ash and oil into a soap solution or treating the cowpea pods with smoke or heat. [36] More modern methods include storage in airtight containers, using gamma irradiation, or heating or freezing the seeds. [37] Temperatures of 60°C (140°F) kill the weevil larvae, leading to a recent push to develop cheap forms of solar heating that can be used to treat stored grain. [38] One of the more recent developments is the use a cheap, reusable double-bagging system (called PICs) that asphyxiates the cowpea weevils. [39] Pests and diseases [ edit ] Larva from the Maruca vitrata, commonly called the maruca pod borer, is one of the most damaging insect pests to the cowpea plant. In some situations, seed can be roughed into cereal stubble and double cropped effectively. However, crop establishment and production will be much more dependent on good seasonal conditions following sowing.