Description

A poster presented at the 2012 Global Pulse Researchers Meeting, Kigali, Rwanda- “Transforming Grain-Legume Systems to Enhance Nutrition and Livelihoods”. Abstract: In Angola, cowpeas express greater ruggedness and lower requirements for moisture than other crops. The longterm interest in cowpeas goes beyond the scope of the small farmer, given its characteristic as a nitrogen fixing plant, and thus the benefit of including it in rotation cotton, sunflower and sugar cane. Today, cowpea is grown throughout the country, albeit with greater relevance in the ecological zones of medium altitude and relatively warm, semi-arid areas (Bengo, Cuanza Sul, C. Norte, Benguela, Namibe, Zaire, Cunene, Huila, Cuando Cubango). During the last 5 years the cowpea project has conducted fields trials at five IIA Stations. The results are presented for the lines with superior performance. Researchers also indicate the major diseases found in cowpeas in Angola, indicating that breeding lines from UCR did not exhibit these diseases.