Cowpea is a drought-tolerant legume important for food security and soil fertility in Zimbabwe's drier regions. It is a key protein source for rural communities.
75
Days to Maturity
0.8–2 tonnes/ha
Typical Yield
Low
Water Need
Very High
Drought Tolerance
Optimal Soil Types
pH Range: 5.5 – 7
1 Nutrich earthworm poop tea 4 Nutrich vermicompost 2 Compound D/C 5 Nutrich vermifoliar
Fertilizer: 1 Nutrich Earthworm poop tea 16Nutrich vermicompost 8 Compound C 5 Nutrich veermifoliar
Optimal Temp: 25–35°C
Rainfall: 350–700mm/year
Climate Zones
Largely rain-fed. Very drought-tolerant once established. Supplemental irrigation at flowering and pod fill significantly improves yield.
17°C
scattered clouds
Mashonaland Central
46%
Humidity
7
km/h Wind
17–17°C
Min / Max Today
5-Day Forecast
Sun
35°
14°
Mon
34°
15°
Tue
35°
16°
Wed
32°
17°
Thu
34°
17°
Cowpea optimal climate: Temp: 25–35°C°C · Rainfall: 350–700mm/yr
Planting Months
Harvesting Months
Planting Depth: 3–5 cm
Spacing: 75cm × 20cm
Material: Grain seed
Provinces
Natural Regions
Symptoms: Leaf curl, sticky honeydew, stunted growth
Management: Dimethoate spray; natural predators
Symptoms: Webbed pods, feeding on seeds, entry holes
Management: Lambda-cyhalothrin spray at flowering; Bt spray
Symptoms: Holes in stored grain, internal larvae
Management: Hermetic storage; Phostoxin fumigation; solar drying
Symptoms: Mosaic mottling, leaf blistering, stunting
Management: Aphid control; resistant varieties; remove infected plants
Symptoms: Grey-brown circular spots on leaves
Management: Mancozeb spray; avoid dense planting
Governed Product Guidance
Crop-specific product selection, application rates, mixing, timing and treatment guidance for Cowpea are available only through ZEF's governed production-agronomy workflow after country readiness and product/regulatory approval.
Human food (dried grain, green pods), livestock feed (hay and grain), soil fertility improvement, intercropping
Export Potential:
Cultivation Guide
Step-by-step guide tailored to Cowpea in Zimbabwe
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