Cowpea inoculant program (Vigna unguiculata)
A drought-tolerant staple across West Africa and the semi-arid tropics, and a protein backbone for hundreds of millions of people.
The challenge
Cowpea is usually grown on poor, dry soils where native rhizobia are variable; under heat and drought, nodulation and nitrogen supply fall short of the crop’s potential.
115 kg N/ha — what cowpea can fix on poor, dry land — a strong fixer, when nodulation holds through heat and drought.
A protein backbone of the dry tropics
Cowpea feeds hundreds of millions across West Africa and the semi-arid tropics, thriving on land where few other crops will — a quiet staple of food security.
Grown where rhizobia are unreliable
It is usually sown on poor, dry soils where native rhizobia are patchy and variable, so strong nodulation is far from guaranteed — even for a naturally capable fixer.
Heat and drought cut the supply
Under the stress cowpea is planted into, nodulation and nitrogen supply fall short of the crop’s real potential, right when the plant can least afford it.
The program
- Nodu™ CP — pairs cowpea with elite cowpea-group Bradyrhizobium
- Vigor™ — strengthens roots and resilience under heat and drought
- Orvan™ — couples nitrogen fixation with biocontrol
Field-proven
Across 48 sites in 5 provinces (Henan, Hubei, Guangxi; 2021–2024): +13.8% average yield, up to 5.2× more nodules, nitrogenase up to 4.4×, and up to 115 kg N/ha fixed, holding yield through heat and drought.
Rhizobial fit
Cowpea is the reference host of the promiscuous cowpea-miscellany Bradyrhizobium group, which also nodulates peanut, mung bean, black gram and pigeon pea. Nodu™ CP uses elite cowpea-group Bradyrhizobium (BR 3267-type) matched to local, often heat- and drought-stressed populations; Orvan™ amplifies them.
By product
- Orvan™ (Orvan™ Cowpea): +13.8% yield, up to 5.2× more nodules; 48 sites / 5 provinces. Nitrogen-fixation potentiation.
- Nodu™ (Nodu™ CP, Bradyrhizobium (cowpea / Vigna group)): +10.2% · 24 sites; 75–115 kg N/ha, a strong fixer.
- Vigor™ (PGPR): +9.2% · 22 sites.
How to use
At sowing: Nodu™ CP 3–5 g/kg seed; Orvan™ Seed/Coat; add Vigor™ for heat- and drought-prone fields.