Cowpea (Lobia)

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 280 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 550 mm it can use in a normal year, and 390 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):

• Jul 28 °C / 21 °C (outside its best range)
• Aug 28 °C / 20 °C (outside its best range)
• Sep 28 °C / 19 °C (outside its best range)
• Oct 26 °C / 15 °C (outside its best range)

Months in orange are outside its best range.

Soil

Soil for Cowpea (Lobia): 9 out of 10 (good).

Not in the score: organic carbon.

• The pH here suits it.
• Low nitrogen matters less: it makes its own.

Likes pH 5.5–7.5.

Money

Yield: about 2.8 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹8,892 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 ₹16,000 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.