Cowpea (Lobia)

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 270 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 480 mm it can use in a normal year, and 380 mm in a dry year.

Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.

Temperature

Grows best at 25–35 °C on average, and survives 15–40 °C.

Here, in its growing months (day / night):

• Jun 25 °C / 18 °C (outside its best range)
• Jul 25 °C / 18 °C (outside its best range)
• Aug 25 °C / 18 °C (outside its best range)
• Sep 25 °C / 17 °C (outside its best range)

Months in orange are outside its best range.

Soil

Likes pH 5.5–7.5. We have no pH figures for this place.

Money

Yield: about 4.5 quintals an acre here (older figures, 2018-19).

Mandi price at last season's harvest (September–October 2026): about ₹8,300 a quintal across India's mandis.

This week: about ₹8,965 a quintal, the middle of 22 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹31,000 a season after typical costs.

Prices are usually best in November.

Typical costs are about ₹9,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2023–2025), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.