Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] holds great potential in providing more nutritionally balanced diets, especially to the poorest people in Africa who cannot afford to buy animal-protein foods.
The “EDITS-Cowpea” project is one of JIRCAS initiatives that have been implemented to generate fundamental scientific information to promote better utilization of the wide genetic diversity of this crop in breeding programs and crop utilization.
Wide variation of cowpea grains (left) and cowpea dishes (right) in West Africa
Based on the information generated through the project, we have created the "EDITS-Cowpea database" (http://www.jircas.go.jp/en/database/edits-cowpea/introduction).
This database enables cowpea breeders and scientists to search a total of 240 genotypes including germplasms, breeding lines, and local varieties, using 23 traits in 3 categories for sorting (as of June 2016). Furthermore, a summarized information, including origin, trait list, and images, of the selected genotype(s) is available for downloading and printing.
This database enables cowpea breeders to identify genotypes with favorable target traits. (English Interface)
By making wider use of this database, we expect to stimulate breeding activities to generate new varieties that conform with the preferences of consumers and the needs of the markets in the region, and subsequently to further strengthen the crop’s role in society.