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CRI develops two varieties of cowpea
to address malnutrition
Accra. Aug. 17, Ghanadot/GNA - Crop Research Institute (CRI)
of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
has proposed that two varieties of cowpea developed by the
Institute be released for public use.
The two varieties proposed were based on the results of
on-station and on-farm evaluation, chemical composition and
sensory evaluation done by the Institute.
The development of the two new varieties is also to address
the malnutrition problem among lactating mothers and
children in the country. Seven out of every 10 pregnant
women suffer from anaemia resulting from iron deficiency.
The two varieties are IT87D-611-3 with the name "Nhyira",
meaning blessing in Akan and IT87D-2075 with the name "Tona",
meaning profit in Dagarti.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA),
Dr Hans Adu-Dapaah, a chief research scientist and a plant
breeder of the Institute, explained that Nhyira had an early
maturing (65-68 days), high yielding (2.3t/ha), moderately
resistant to virus, resistant to Anthracnose and Cercospora
leaf spot, high in iron, energy and phosphorus contents,
protein, tolerant to leaf hoppers, bold, white seed with
brown eye and drought tolerant.
Its leaves are rich in protein and minerals; it has high
biomass and suppresses weeds and is good for President's
Special Initiative on Oil Palm, Cocoa and Cashew and other
plantation crops.
The Nhyira variety has high energy, phosphorus and iron,
resistant to Cercospora leaf spot and viruses, resistant to
leaf hoppers, and has medium maturing for 71-80 days and is
drought tolerant.
The new varieties could be used for koose, tubani, gari and
beans, rice and beans, cake, aprempransa sausage rolls, jam
rolls, pie, chips and can also be used in the school feeding
programme based on their nutritional content.
Cowpea is a legume, which is capable of fixing atmospheric
nitrogen for its use.
Dr Adu-Dapaah told the GNA that cowpea was an important food
legume crop indigenous to Africa and West Africa, the main
production area of the world.
Because cowpea was generally drought tolerant, it could be
successfully grown even in marginal areas where some other
crops might fail, he said.
He explained that apart from providing cash income for the
farmers, cowpea also supplied the bulk of plant protein in
the diets of most people in West Africa.
"Cowpea leaves, green pods, green peas and dry seeds are all
consumed as human food while the fresh and dry haulms
provide fodder for livestock. Major constraints to cowpea
include insect pest (thrips, pod sucking bugs and storage
weevils), fungal, bacterial and viral diseases, Striga
gesnerioides and drought."
Dr. Adu-Dapaah said cowpea breeding at CRI focused on the
development of varieties that were early to medium maturing,
resistant to insect pests, diseases, striga gesnerioides and
drought.
He called on Ghanaians to patronise the two cowpea varieties
for their nutritional needs for proper growth and to solve
the malnutrition problems plaguing our poor children and
lactating mothers.
GNA
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