A note on the Nigerian vegetable cowpea

The Nigerian vegetable cowpea belongs to Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. ssp. unguiculata. It was found to be high yielding, day neutral, adequately adapted to the region south of 10 degrees N latitude and consistent phenotypically. The morphological features include the climbing and decumbent growth habits, the coiled, curved and straight pendant pods; the lanceolate and rhomboid leaf forms and the presence or absence of the soluble compound, anthocyanin on the shoot, pods and seeds. When planted with the early rains, the climbing type yields higher with an average fresh pod and dry grain yield of 13.1t/ha and 1.66t/ha, respectively as against the fresh pod and dry grain yield of 11.4t/ha and 1.35t/ha of the decumbent type. The plant ensures an uninterrupted protein supply throughout the year either as fresh immature pods or as dry grains.