Cowpea — 6Pests & diseases

• When to act: pest threshold levels

  Economic threshold levels for cowpea: aphids – 20 per 2.5 cm shoot length; spotted pod borer – 3 larvae per plant; stem fly – 10% of plants affected.

  Pending expert review

  Source

  Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Cowpea – Crop protection, ETL, p. 155

  Region

  Tamil Nadu

  Last updated

  2026-11-04

• Root rot

  Apply Pseudomonas fluorescens or Trichoderma asperellum at 2.5 kg/ha with 50 kg of well-decomposed FYM or sand to the soil.

  Pending expert review

  Source

  Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Cowpea – Disease management (Root rot), p. 156

  Region

  Tamil Nadu

  Last updated

  2026-11-04

• Chemical pesticides: ask before you spray

  The source lists chemical pesticides for stem fly, aphids, whitefly, blue butterflies, spotted pod borer, pod bug and rust. Many are hazardous, and some may be restricted. Choose a product only with your local Agriculture Officer, and spray only after the pest crosses the threshold level.

  Follow the instructions on the product label. Consult your local Agriculture Officer before use.

  Pending expert review

  Source

  Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Cowpea – Pest & disease management, pp. 155–156

  Region

  Tamil Nadu

  Last updated

  2026-11-04