Legume

Cowpea

📍 Ghana

Click a numbered marker on the plant to explore each life-cycle stage — or read the key dates on the right.

Sow Harvest

Sow

Sep – Oct

Harvest

Nov – Dec

Growing period

60 - 70 days

Seeding rate

20 - 30 kg/ha

🌾

Harvest — this part of the plant

Roots & seed establish first. Sow in at .

Leaves & stem drive the vegetative stage over .

Flowering falls mid-cycle between sowing () and harvest (). Keep stress low here.

Fruit/grain matures — harvest around .

Local note

Based on similar agro-ecological conditions in another country — confirm with local extension.

Where Cowpea grows in Ghana

plains

Coastal savanna zone

Low-lying, covers about 16 000 km2. Vegetation: mainly grass and scrub. Soil: savanna-ochrosols. Annual rainfall: 1000-1300mm. Rainy seasons: (1) Main season: April-August; (2) Minor season: September-November

floodplain

Guinea savanna zone

Area: about 152 000km2. Soils: generally poor. The better soils are found in the floodplains and along river banks. Annual rainfall: 750-1000mm. Rainy season: June-October

other

Rain forest zone

Area: 84 000 km2. Annual rainfall: 1150- 2000 mm. Rainy seasons: (1) Main season: March-August; (2) Minor season: September-November

other

Transitional zone

Cover regions north of the forest zone. Altitude: 120 - 275m. Soil: Rainfall/annum: 1000-1300mm. Rainy seasons: (1) Main season: April-August; (2) Minor season: September-November

Looking for another crop? Browse the full Ghana crop calendar or the Cowpea guide for other countries.