Buff Cowpea

We recommend Buff Cowpeas. They are an annual summer forage legume that tolerates drought and heat, and they can be used to fatten cattle and sheep. They suit areas with 500mm+ rainfall or irrigation and a wide range of soils, although they don't like waterlogging. Sow at 15–20 kg/ha once soil temperatures reach 16°C.

Sow Buff Cowpeas 3–5cm deep at 15–20 kg/ha, using 18–35cm row spacings to target 9–13 plants per m². Wider rows give livestock better access and reduce trampling. Inoculate the seed with Group I inoculant before sowing, and wait until soil temperatures reach 16°C with good moisture. The seed is large, at about 5,000 seeds per kg.

Adding Buff Cowpeas is a good way to do it. Cowpeas are a good companion legume for our Bounty Sorghum and Shirohie Millet, and their higher protein lifts the quality of the hay or silage. They also fix nitrogen for the following crop. Inoculate with Group I and sow once soil temperatures reach 16°C.

We recommend Buff Cowpeas. As a summer legume, they fix nitrogen when inoculated with Group I and make an excellent green manure. They are easy to establish, grow in a range of soils and tolerate drought, though not waterlogging. They need warm conditions, ideally 25–35°C, and 500mm+ rainfall or irrigation. Incorporate them around flowering, 49–55 days after sowing.

We recommend light grazing of Buff Cowpeas so the plants can regrow. Heavy or low grazing can knock the crop out. Wider rows of 18–35cm help stock move through with less trampling. Buff responds well to phosphorus, potassium and sulphur, so good nutrition supports regrowth. Cowpeas are frost tender, so use the feed before the first frosts.

No, Buff Cowpeas don't like to be waterlogged, so we recommend sowing them on free-draining ground. They grow in a wide variety of soils and have good drought tolerance, but wet feet and root rot fungus can set them back. On heavier, wetter ground, talk to us about our Ebony Cowpeas, which have better root disease resistance.

For Buff Cowpeas, wait until the soil temperature reaches 16°C and there is good soil moisture. The crop grows best at 25–35°C. In most of WA, that means mid to late spring through early summer, depending on your district. Cowpeas are susceptible to frost, so avoid sowing while there is still a frost risk.

Buff Cowpeas are a dual-purpose option for grain and forage. They produce high seed yields, and both the seed and the plant have high nutritive value and palatability. The pods hold about 11 buff-coloured seeds. Buff flowers 49–55 days after sowing, suits 500mm+ rainfall or irrigation, and should be sown at 15–20 kg/ha.

Both are annual summer forage legumes that fix nitrogen and pair well with millet and sorghum. Buff Cowpeas are an erect type that flowers 49–55 days after sowing and produces high seed yields. Our Ebony Cowpeas have a long production season and resistance to races 3 and 4 of Phytophthora root rot, which suits wetter or disease-prone ground.

Yes, Buff Cowpeas are used to fatten both cattle and sheep and are highly palatable. Cowpeas are generally considered a low bloat risk forage, but we still recommend introducing stock gradually and watching young sheep closely. Graze lightly to allow regrowth. Some cowpea types have been linked to photosensitivity in young sheep. For hay or silage, mix them with sorghum or millet.