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Physorg.com, 3 Nov, 2009
Even the highly drought-resistant cowpea (a long type of legume)
now has an increasingly difficult time surviving in the Sahel countries
where climate change has resulted in shorter and less frequent rainy
seasons. Wageningen University, The Netherlands, scientist Eugene
Agbicodo recently localised genes of the cowpea that contribute
to an improved drought tolerance.
This will help breeders and farmers to produce crops with higher
yields despite the changing climate. Agbicodo graduated from Wageningen
University recently.
In cooperation with research institute IITA, Agbicodo performed
tests in Nigeria with a drought-sensitive type and a drought-tolerant
type of cowpea and 120 offspring of a cross-breed of the two. By
comparing the DNA from the offspring that did poorly with those
that did well, he traced the location of the drought-tolerant characteristic
on the cowpea chromosome. Agbicodo also established that plants
with leaves that age slower and stomata that stayed open longer
had a higher legume and seed yield.
Cowpea is often one of the few crops that produces anything at
all in drought-stricken areas with barren soil. In addition, the
plant improves the soil’s fertility because of its excellent
nitrogen-fixing abilities. Poor harvests have a dramatic effect
on over 200 million Africans who eat the legumes and feed the tops
to their cattle.
Cowpea is a traditional crop that is cultivated on small farms
and not economically viable for large corporations. This is why
there has been very little detailed research into the crop. But
that is now changing. Led from the United States and subsidised
by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a research programme
has been established via the Generation Challenge Program (GCP)
to acquire more knowledge about the cowpea and increase the yield
of the crops.
The close cooperation between scientists from Wageningen University,
IITA and the scientists in the GCP program of the University of
California (Riverside, USA) resulted in the localisation of genes
that stimulate drought-tolerance in various types of cowpea. These
results can now be used to secure the future of cowpea as a food
source in arid areas of West Africa.
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