Cowpea |
| Posted by ASCE (admin) on Wednesday, 9th January, 2008 at 4:59 AM |
Introduction
Cowpea, Vigna unguiculata, is a grain legume grown in savanna regions of the tropics and subtropics. It is largely grown in West and Central African Countries. Its value lies in its high protein content, its ability to tolerate drought, and the fact that it fixes atmospheric nitrogen which allows it to grow on and improve poor soils.
The ability of cowpea plants to tolerate drought and poor soils makes it an important crop in savanna regions where these constraints restrict other crops.
Cowpea in a fresh form can be used as vegetable while snacks and main meal dishes are prepared from the dried grain. All the parts of the plant are used for food are nutritious, providing protein, vitamins and minerals. Cowpea grain contains about 25% protein, making it extremely valuable in low-income countries where many people cannot afford protein food such as meat and fish. After harvesting, the plants can be used as animal feed.
Cowpea is largely grown in the northern part of Nigeria which has savannah type of vegetation and light rainfall.
Varieties
Nigeria produces two varieties of cowpeas - white and yellow beans .
Production
FAO estimates that 3.3 million tones of cowpea dry grains were produced worldwide in 2000. Nigeria produced 2.1 million tones of this, making it the world's largest producer, followed by Niger (650,000 tonnes) and Mali (110,000 tonnes). Presently, Nigeria produces over 2.7 million MT of cowpeas with an average yield per hectare of 417 kg.
Uses
Cowpeas is a staple food item in many homes all over the world??
The plants are used as animal feeds after harvesting
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