Cowpea (Lobia)
Sow in July, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 137 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹12,000–₹18,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹3,000–₹9,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 2 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 2 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 330 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 260 mm it can use in a normal year, and 220 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 32 °C / 23 °C
- Aug 31 °C / 23 °C
- Sep 31 °C / 23 °C
- Oct 32 °C / 22 °C
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.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 3.2 quintals an acre here (district figures).
On rain alone it gets about 80% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 80% of this yield.
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October 2026): about ₹5,829 a quintal across mandis in your state.
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 ₹14,000 a season after typical costs.
- ₹5,210 2021
- ₹5,140 2022
- ₹5,910 2023
- ₹7,300 2024
- ₹5,470 2025
Prices are usually best in January.
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.
How to make it work
The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 2.8 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
-
Short of organic carbon Your soil is likely short of organic carbon.
Add 4 tonnes of compost or farmyard manure per acre before sowing, and plough crop leftovers back in instead of burning them.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
Short of sulphur Your soil is likely short of sulphur.
Use single super phosphate instead of DAP, or add about 100 kg of gypsum per acre before sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
Short of zinc Your soil is likely short of zinc.
Mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
Short of boron Your soil is likely short of boron.
Mix 4 kg of borax per acre into the soil before sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.