Cowpeas In The San Joaquin
Categories:
Grains and Forage Crops
How late in the season will it be profitable to plant cowpeas? What is
the best manner of planting? Are there several varieties? If so, which
one is best adapted to plant after oats? The land can be irrigated until
about August 10. Will it be advisable to plow up a poor stand of alfalfa
about July 1 and plant to cow peas?
You can plant cowpeas all summer on land which is moist enough by
natural moisture o
irrigation to promote growth. What you will get by
late planting depends upon moisture and absence of an early fall frost.
If your alfalfa stand is bad enough to need re-sowing anyway, you may
get a good catch crop of cowpeas by doing as you propose. If, however,
you plow under much coarse stuff in putting in the peas the growth may
be irregular. It can, of course, be improved by free irrigation. On
clear land moderately retentive much more is being done in summer growth
of cowpeas without irrigation than expected. There are several good
varieties. One of these is the Whippoorwill. Cowpeas can be sown in
furrows three feet apart and cultivated, using about 40 pounds of seed
to the acre, or they may be broadcasted, which takes about twice as much
seed.