PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES PUBLICATION 21518 For information about ordering this publication, contact Communication Services The technical editors are Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Anthony E. Hall, University of California 6701 San Pablo Avenue Crop Ecologist, UC Riverside, Oakland, California 94608-1239 and Carol A. Frate, UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor, Tulare County. Telephone (510) 642-2431 within California (800) 994-8849 In addition to the technical editors, other contributing authors are FAX (510) 643-5470 e-mail inquiries to [email protected] David Billings, President, Marketing Cooperative, Ventura; Publication 21518 David W. Cudney Extension Weed Scientist, UC Riverside; Printed in the United States of America. Donald C. Erwin, Plant Pathologist, UC Riverside; ©1996 by the Regents of the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Peter B. Goodell, Regional IPM Advisor, Kearney Agricultural Center, Parlier; All rights reserved Dard Hunter, No part of this publication may be reproduced, Bean Dealer, San Francisco; stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in Jerry Munson, any form or by any means, electronic, mechan ical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, Manager, California Dry Bean Advisory Board; without the written permission of the publish Phillip P. Osterli, er and the authors. UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor, Stanislaus County; and Philip A. Roberts, The University of California, in accordance Nematologist, UC Riverside. with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, The manuscript was reviewed by sex, disability, age, medical condition (cancer- Jim Andreas, related), ancestry, marital status, citizenship, Farmer, Delano; sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam-era Don Cameron, veteran or special disabled veteran. The Warehouse Manager, Pixley; University also prohibits sexual harassment. Jeffrey D. Ehlers, Inquiries regarding the University's nondis Research Specialist, UC Riverside; crimination policies may be directed to the Richard O. Hampton, Affirmative Action Director, University of Virologist (USD A), Oregon State University, Corvallis; California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Shannon Mueller, 300 Lakeside Drive, 6th Floor, Oakland, CA UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor, Fresno County; 94612-3560 (510) 987-0096. Blake Sanden, 3m-pr-l/96-WJC/VFG UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor, Kern County; Charles G. Summers, *\ printed on recycled paper. Entomologist, UC Berkeley; and Steven R. Temple, Extension Agronomist, UC Davis. Blackeye Bean Production in California Anthony E. Hall and Carol A. Frate, technical editors The blackeye bean (Vigna unguiculata [formerly V. sinensis], fig.l) is the main type of cowpea grown in California. The produce is sold as dry blackeye beans, also known as blackeye peas in the southern United States. Some southern pea varieties of cow- pea are grown in small plantings in California, including Coronet, Pinkeye Purplehull-BVR, Mississippi Silver, Clemson Purplehull, and Queen Anne. These southern peas are grown either for seed for the southern United States or for use as fresh-shelled peas, typically in "U-Pick" operations. Blackeye bean varieties also are suitable for use as fresh-shelled peas, provided they are picked at color-break when pods first become yellow. There Figurel . Blackeye beans 10 weeks after sowing. are also small plantings of edible-pod cowpea vari eties, including Chinese yard-long beans (Vigna unguiculata, also called V. sesquipedalis in earlier area sown to cowpeas has decreased substantially in years), which are climbing varieties, and bush the southeastern United States and Texas. Out of types that have been developed for California by about 100,000 acres currently planted, most are in UC Riverside researchers. In the past, specific cow southern pea varieties, with a variable acreage of pea varieties were grown in the United States as blackeye beans in Texas. hay, forage, or green manure crops, but no varieties Commercial production of blackeye beans was adapted for these uses have been developed for first reported in California in 1880. Since the early California. This publication focuses on dry black- 1900s the total planted area has remained relatively eye bean production, but many of the recommenda constant at 40,000 to 60,000 acres, but the area of pro tions concerning growing conditions and cultural duction has shifted from more northerly locations practices also apply to southern pea, forage, and and Riverside County to the southern San Joaquin edible-pod varieties, except that Chinese yard-long Valley. The decline in cowpea production in the beans are grown on trellises. southeastern United States and Texas indicates that The first record of cowpea planting in the the survival and continued health of the blackeye American colonies is from 1707. In 1940, more than 5 bean industry in California cannot be taken for million acres were planted in the United States. Most granted. A concerted, cooperative effort on the part of the cowpeas were grown for hay, but 1.4 million of growers, farm advisors, scientists, grower organi acres, mainly in the southeastern United States, zations, and commercial organizations involved in Texas, and California, produced southern peas and production and marketing is needed to develop dry beans for human consumption. Since 1940, the more efficient and environmentally sound produc- This One 2Y8T-QE3-NRPA average area of 50,500 acres between 1960 and 1989. In years when greater acreages were planted and harvest ed, prices received for blackeye beans were relatively low (fig. 3). Demand for blackeye beans appears to be bC relatively constant, and a moderate increase (14,500 acres) in planted area can increase production suffi ciently to depress prices. Large carryovers of blackeye beans from the previous year may also help depress prices. Large-planting years tended to follow years with above-average prices for blackeye beans (fig. 3). 3 The record dealer price of $43.50 per cwt in 1993-94 G (fig. 3) followed two years with small harvested areas and poor production (fig. 2). The balance of supply and demand is also influenced by the size and quality of the crop produced in Texas. 300 LI 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 The Blackeye Varietal Council of the California Dry Bean Advisory Board has closely monitored the Figure 2. Total annual California production of blackeye beans with 5-year averages shown as broken lines. carryover, crop size, and shipments of blackeye beans (both foreign and domestic) since 1975. The Dry Bean Advisory Board publishes information $45 1 i i about the blackeye bean crop size and inventory 70 -3? quarterly in The Bean Marketer, which is sent to all $40 \ I O) u bean growers in the state. This information is used 60 § <_> $35 ;". /, « i A", / o by the Council's promotion program, which ■ i A ' ' /— i ' * / V '' /"~\ / ^H attempts to counteract the effects of oversupply by ^$30 * A ■ 50 - y /\ • /.AAV V A 1 promoting sales more aggressively in years with 0) high production. The promotion program has the £ $25 ' y ";»'..' \» «; en 40 g additional objective of gradually increasing domestic S$20 . X and overseas markets for blackeye beans. Statistical " 30 g $15 Price information on carryover, crop size, and shipments < can help growers avoid the overplantings that result ' Area $10 20 in catastrophic price reductions. New growers of 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 blackeye beans are advised to not try large experi Figure 3. California average dealer price (yearly average of mental plantings. From an agronomic point of view, monthly mean values) for blackeye beans (solid line) and they should plant only small areas until they have total area harvested (broken line). gained the experience required to grow a produc tive, high-quality crop of blackeye beans. tion methods and to expand market opportunities The economic health of the blackeye bean industry for blackeye beans and other cowpeas. in California will depend to a large degree upon its ability to improve production efficiency. Yield per Production Statistics acre is a major factor in production efficiency, and management methods and bean varieties that for California require fewer inputs per acre can contribute to prof The average production of blackeye beans in California itability. Growers have achieved substantial increas between 1960 and 1994 was 756,000 hundredweight es in productivity since 1970 (fig. 4), presumably as a (cwt) bags per year, with higher production in the consequence of the adoption of improved manage 1980s of 839,000 bags (fig. 2). Production exceeded 1 ment methods and new varieties. New varieties million bags in 1974, 1982, and 1987, due mainly to released by UC Davis in 1987 (CB46) and 1989 increases in area planted. About 65,000 acres were (CB88) have produced consistently higher yields in planted in these three years, compared with a 30-year trials than CB5 or the old wilt-resistant variety CB3 (table 1), and are being adopted by growers. In 1991, 63 percent out of 16,000 cwt of seed dispensed by warehouses was CB46, 35 percent was CB5, and 2 percent was CB88. In 1995, 66 percent of seed dis pensed by warehouses was CB46, 18 percent was CB5, and 16 percent was CB88. V Blackeye Bean Growth and 33 Development 0) Climate Blackeye beans are well adapted to the late spring and summer growing conditions of California's Central Valley. At planting, they require warm soil 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 with average temperatures in the seed zone of at Figure 4. California annual average yield of blackeye beans, least 66°F (19°C) for at least three days after sowing, with 5-year averages shown as broken lines. or plant emergence will be delayed and reduced. Earliest effective planting dates range from early April for hot spring conditions in Kern County to Also, late June or July plantings run the risk of fall early June for cooler years and locations such as rain damage after cutting, when the crop is in the Stanislaus County.