Progress has been made in IITA’s longstanding effort to develop cowpea resistant to the Striga plant parasite through the use of molecular markers, as part of the goal of reducing crop losses estimated by FAO at $200 million annually in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Three markers – or genetic attributes – have been found, with more under development. At least six different races of Striga have been identified across West and Central Africa, yet because these parasitic strains are geography-specific, the solution must also be suited to specific local conditions.

The latest research, potentially assisting breeders to select cowpea with Striga resistance, was supported by $900,000 in funding provided the Generation Challenge Program (GCP) of The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). IITA’s effort to alleviate infestations of Cowpea Striga (S. gesnerioides) has been further augmented through a new GCP initiative aimed at doubling cowpea and the tropical legumes project funded by the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), which aims to increase cowpea production in drought-prone areas in SSA and South Asia.

Cowpea production across SSA accounts for over 65 percent of world output. According to FAO, cowpea in Africa impacts on poverty and nutrition levels among more than 10 million people in drought-prone areas. IITA’s latest research into cowpea markers took place in six countries – Senegal, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Niger, Mali and Benin.

Based on on-farm studies and FAO estimates, losses to legume – or bean – crops, especially cowpea, caused by the parasitic Striga weed are believed to be 40 percent annually for all Africa. In dry areas of Nigeria, for example, Striga losses have reduced cowpea productivity from a potential 2-3 tonnes per hectare to 0.37 tonnes.

“There is a huge potential for cowpea crops to contribute to nutrition and income growth in Africa’s dry and semi-arid regions,” said Dr. Satoru Muranaka, project leader based at IITA in Kano, Nigeria. “Because of crop damage still inflicted by Cowpea Striga, we hope our findings will contribute to greater food security in the dry and arid regions of SSA.”

Cowpea, an IITA world-mandate crop, already serves an important role in SSA. Comprising over 25 percent protein, cowpea provides food, sales income and residual bi-products for use as livestock feed. As a drought-tolerant crop, cowpea is adapted to dry or arid environments where rainfall is low and erratic, soils less fertile and other crops habitually fail. Cowpea also contributes to soil fertility through its ability to ‘fix nitrogen’, vital to rotational cropping systems in marginal areas.