I-Cowpeas

© Michris janse van Rensburg
A field of cowpeas on Mooiuitsig farm near Bulfontein in the Free State.
iCowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) zezase Afrika kwaye zityalwa ngejongo zokuba zityiwe ngabantu nezilwanyane. Imbewu, amaqokobhe, namagqabi zisetyenziswa njengokutya kuluntu. iCowpeas zaziwa njenge swartbekboontjie (Afrikaans), dinawe (Ndebele) dinaba (Shangaan) imbumba (Zulu), monawa okanye nawa (Pedi) ne dinawa (Tswana).
Kuxhomekeke kuhlobo elisetyenzisiweyo, i-cowpeas zingenyuka zibhijele (njengo Dr Saunders) okanye ukurhubuluza (njenge Bechuana White). Oluhlobo lunyukayo likulungele okokuba ibekukutya okanye isivuno sokwegquma. iCowpeas zingatyalwa nezinye izityalo okanye kujikeleziso lwezityalo kwaye ziyamelana nembalela. Zimbotyi ezityebileyo kwi protheyini kwaye ishiya initrogen emhlabeni ukuze ibene nzuzo kwisivuno esilandelayo.
Isivuno sehlabathi jikelele se Cowpea siqikelelwa ku 12,5 million ha kodwa ke imveliso yengqolowa xa idibene (eyokutya) zi toni eziyi 3 million. Entshona naphakathi kwe Afrika zezona zihamba pambili ekuveliseni iCowpea ezivelisa u 64% koluqikelelo lwe 3 million tons zembewu ye cowpea. iNigeria yeyona ihamba phambili ekuveliseni iCowpea, ilandelwe yi Brazil.
E-Austalia nase Asia icowpeas zityalelwa ukutya kodwa nanjengesivuno sangaphezulu okanye imanyora ehlaza ukutyebisa umhlaba nge nitrogen nentwana ntwana zokulungisa initrogen.
eMzantsi Afrika iCowpeas ziveliswa eNorthWest, Limpopo, Kwazulu Natal, nase Mpumalanga.

Ukutya I-Cowpeas

i-Cowpeas zingaphekwa okanye zibiliswe emveni kokulaliswa emanzini ubusuku bonke. Ziyaphekwa neminye imifuno ukwenza isuphu engqindilili, okanye yenziwe umgubo okanye intlama. iCowpeas ezincinci ezise kracakraca ziyabiliswa zityiwe njengemifuno.
Amagqabi nendawo zokukhula zinga khiwa zisetyenziswe njengemifuno efanayo nespinatshi, kodwa zingo miswa zisetyenziswe njengesityalo esinikeza iprotheyini.
Imbewu eluhlaza iyaqhotswa njengama ndongomane, zigutywe zisetyenziswe endaweni ye kofu.
Imbewu eyomileyo yagutywa iye ixutywe namatswele neziqholo ne oli.
eLimpopo nase Mpumalanga amagqabi we Cowpeas ayavunwa esematsha njenge mifuno ye suphu okanye zomiswe zisetyenziswe kwenye into.
iCowpeas ziphezulu kwi iron (Fe), potassium (P), vitamin B9, inikeza ifiber, protheyini (ukuyokuma ku 24%) ayinamafutha maninzi iphezulu kwi amino acids.

I-Cowpeas Njengokutya Kwezilwanyana

iCowpeas ziyatyalwa njengokutya kwezilwanyane-okufana nengca ukwenza ukutya kwezilwanyane. Isilage kukutya kwezilwanyane okugciniweyo, kulungele ukusetyenziswa ngamaxesha embalela.
Isilage eyenziwe nge Cowpeas yenziwa ngokusebenzisa amagqabi we Cowpea axutywe namagqabi aluhlaza wombona okanye amazimba kudityaniswe okuhlaza, kugqunywe nge plastiki emveni koko kuviwe ubunzima ukuze ivalisiseke. Iyayekwa itsale emveni koko.
iCowpeas zinga velisa umyinge ophezulu wodidi oluphezulu ezomileyo. Phantsi kwemeko ezomileyo, umyinge we cowpea forage we toni ezimbini ukuya kwisithathu se mveliso eyomileyo/ha, kodwa ivelise ukuyokuma ku 8t DM/ha ezisicilelwe kwindawo ezinkcenkceshelweyo.
Eyona ndlela yokutyisa izilwanyane ingafumaneka kwizi tendi apho icowpeas zidityaniswa nombona.
Umphezulu we cowpea, ngaphandle kwamaqokobhe, usetyenziswa ngengokutya kwezilwanyane. Amafama akufuphi asika agcine icowpea ekukutya ngexesha lembalela angenza ngaphezulu komrholo wonyaka ngo 25% ngokuyithengiswa njengokutya.

Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie