Cowpea (Lobia)

Water

Rain falls about 2 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

Needs about 300 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 220 mm it can use in a normal year, and 120 mm in a dry year.

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 / 21 °C (outside its best range)
• Sep 29 °C / 20 °C (outside its best range)
• Oct 29 °C / 20 °C (outside its best range)

Months in orange are outside its best range.

Soil

Soil for Cowpea (Lobia): 8 out of 10 (good).

• The pH here suits it.
• Low nitrogen matters less: it makes its own.
• Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
• Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
• Most fields here are short of zinc.

Likes pH 5.5–7.5.

Money

Yield: about 1.2 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).

Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹8,729 a quintal across mandis in your state.

This week: about ₹8,435 a quintal, the middle of 7 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹954 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.