When to plant Cowpea in Kobli

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Cowpea

Atacora, Benin

Cowpea (nyemba, kunde, niébé, black-eyed pea) is a tough, drought-beating legume for warm country.

Cowpea in Kobli, rain-fed and with irrigation
Measure Rain-fed With irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 11 May 2027 – 19 Aug 2027 opens in 32 weeks 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027
Expected harvest 1.7–1.8 t/ha about 2.5 t/ha
Harvest From 10 Jul 2027 to 17 Dec 2027, depending on the planting date
Ready to harvest 60–120 days after planting
Work it takes 50–105 days per hectare, by hand

Rain-fed. These dates are worked out from each place's own rainfall, for a field watered by the season — with irrigation a window can open earlier, close later, or come round more than once a year. Check your own field under What grows, or get the Divisi app for a calendar dated to your farm.

If you only get one chance to plant, aim for around 21 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's rainfall outlook for Kobli is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.

Planting after 19 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Kobli

Rain and temperature 96%
The soil 96%
The lie of the land 96%

For cowpea in Kobli, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 96%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.

The 2027 season in Kobli

Rainy seasonsOne each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expectedApril 2027 to November 2027
Rain in a typical yearAbout 1,026 mm
This season's rainRain close to usual — plan around about 1,026 mm falling roughly when it always does
This season's heatHotter than usual — about +0.9 °C over the growing months. Heat makes the same rain do less, so a dry spell bites sooner: do not plant late, and shade or mulch what you can.
What that supportsenough rain for one full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season
Ground this covers2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 96% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
96% enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 213 growing days · about 1,040 mm · April to November
4% enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 215 growing days · about 1,040 mm · April to November

last updated 30 September 2026

Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.

What cowpea needs to grow here

Soil it likes well-drained sand, sandy loam or loam soil
Soil sourness (pH) Happiest between pH 5.5 and 6.5
Spacing 75 cm between rows, 25 cm between plants
Feed it most with phosphorus and potassium

What it takes to grow cowpea in Kobli

Planting materialAbout 90,000 plants per hectare
Nitrogen (N)About 108 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 22 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 40 kg per hectare
In the shopsA basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. Skip the nitrogen top dressing; inoculated seed does that job.
Hand work50–105 days per hectare, by hand

These are the nutrients a cowpea crop of that size carries off the field. What you actually apply depends on what your soil already holds — which is what a soil test, or the app's field records, tell you.

What to watch for

Pest/disease risk — manageable

Grow Cowpea with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Kobli as a whole — your own soil, slope and rainfall will shift the dates. The Divisi app works them out for your field, and dates each job that follows.

Or check your field first

Where to sell Cowpea nearby

Cowpea in nearby districts

This calendar moves

Planting windows shift with the forecast. Leave your email and we'll send what changed, and a note when planting time nears — a couple of emails a month at most.

Frequently asked questions

Will cowpea grow well in Kobli?

Kobli rates as favourable for cowpea.

When should I plant cowpea in Kobli?

Typically 11 May 2027 to 19 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Kobli, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.

Also worth considering in Kobli

Keep going

Timing is one question. What the crop needs at every stage, what attacks it and where to sell it are the others.