Description
Cowpeas are a fast growing, annual summer forage legume. With a great tolerance for heat and drought conditions, this legume is an excellent option for providing quality crops for fattening both cows and sheep. Being a legume, they have nitrogen fixation capabilities significantly improving your soil nitrogen levels, or use as a green manure crop and till back into the soil for added benefits. Cowpeas perform very well on a variety of soils, from light, sandy soils to well-drained heavier textured soils, however they do not like to be waterlogged. Seed must be inoculated before sowing with the correct strain of inoculant to ensure good nodulation and nitrogen fixation in the soil.Cowpeas have the ability to produce good quality silage, particularly when mixed with forage sorghums or millets. The hay quality of cowpeas compares favourably with lucerne hay however unlike lucerne, cowpeas won’t recover after being cut low for hay.
AGRONOMIC INFORMATION:
- Sowing Rates 10-15kg per hectare. Sow from mid October to early January with the earlier sowings producing the most feed.
- Grazing 8-12 weeks after emergence. Better grazing capabilities if delayed until flowering.
- Cowpeas perform very well on a variety of soils, from light, sandy soils to well-drained heavier textured soils, however they do not like to be waterlogged.
- Palatable for both sheep and cattle
- Suitable for both hay and silage production
Seed pricing is per 25kg bag. Orders exceeding 1-tonne will be provided in bulk bags unless otherwise specified. Pricing is excluding GST and ex Bell Seeds. Pricing is subject to change without notice. Blend components may vary subject to product availability.
