Cowpeas are an enigma for Midwestern producers. Sometimes referenced as a “summer soybean,” cowpeas need to have hot weather and adequate moisture to have the best success. Cowpeas do exhibit good drought tolerance. If there is a dry summer, cowpeas should be planted by 4th week of July. Inoculating cowpeas is vital for success. Cowpeas need to be planted ¾ -1” deep and have excellent weed control to establish well. When a good stand is established and growing, cowpeas can produce 70-150# nitrogen/acre. The past few years cowpeas have been expensive to use.
Advantages of Cowpeas
- Produces N
- Excellent for forage
- Winterkills
- Excellent summer choice
- Improved drought tolerance
- Works well mixed with oilseed radish
Disadvantages of Cowpeas
- Expensive in recent years
- Needs hot weather to excel
- Winterkills
Plant Cowpeas at 60-120#/acre.