Conserving clean genetic resources for agricultural sustainability and the preservation of diversity is imperative if we want to ensure global food security.

Read how the IITA-Leventis forest restoration project in Ibadan is promoting conservation and raising awareness about the need to protect our forests, especially among the young.

B.B. Singh, the former cowpea breeder at IITA (1979 to 2006), discusses the highlights of research in cowpea improvement over the last four decades and suggests future directions to expand its cultivation as a niche crop.

Rarely in the limelight, cowpea needs a little help to step out of the shadows and become a household name. This insider information provides some general and unique information about this remarkable crop.

What is the “magic” behind the triple layer plastic bag developed by Purdue University? Learn what PICS is doing to promote this cost-effective technology for hermetic storage of cowpea seeds, and how the value chain development is helping farmers and entrepreneurs alike.

Molecular geneticist Sarah Hearne emphasizes the importance of characterizing genebank collections for use in selecting the best materials for crop improvement. One such study confirmed the robustness of the Institute’s collection on cowpea.

Not many people know that cowpea grows in the Balkans, which has a typical temperate climate. One of the authors, Aleksander Mikic, explains what Serbia is doing to exploit the potentials of cowpea and other pulses.

Cowpea is not just for humans; it is also grown for fodder. Thus, improving the nutritional quality of crop residues is important to enhance the productivity and profitability of mixed crop-livestock systems, explains ILRI scientist Elaine Grings.

IITA’s Genetic Resource Center has the biggest collection of cowpea accessions from 89 countries, mostly in Africa, and has distributed germplasm to research institutions in many parts of the world. What has been the impact of this work and at what cost? This study attempts to provide answers to this and other questions.

Marker-assisted breeding could help hasten the development of cowpea varieties resistant to Striga, a parasitic weed that causes millions of dollars worth of losses every year.