Cowpea: taxonomy, genetics, and breeding, physiology and agronomy, diseases and parasitic weeds, insect pests, postharvest technology and utilization. Biotechnological applications.

Cowpea is a versatile crop that is well-adapted to poor conditions. This, combined with its high nutrition value, gives cowpea the potential to mitigate the effects of climate change and save millions of people from hunger and malnutrition. In Cowpea: Research Progress and Management Challenges, the authors discuss how the increased productivity of cowpea can enhance agribusiness opportunities for people in developing countries and lower costs while increasing income under changing climate conditions.Promising cowpea cultivars are under great threat for profitable cultivation due to the attack of factors such as: fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, nutritional deficiency toxicity, water stress and temperature. Thus, this compilation reviews the present status of fungal and bacterial diseases of this important crop.Next, recent developments about the plant are reviewed which show high recalcitrance to in vitro regeneration and genetic transformation, using different genes of interest, since the 1980s. The main focus of the study included a comparison of protocols for sterilization, types of explants used, growth mediums, cultural conditions, rooting, acclimatization and genetic transformation of cowpea.The authors also discuss the biological and pharmacological aspects of cowpea. Some health benefits include toning the spleen, stomach and pancreas, helping induce urination and relieving damp conditions. Cowpea contains the highest concentration of antioxidant compounds. It also has a small amount of iron, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium.Next, this collection focuses on how cowpea bean protein hydrolysates are obtained, their pharmacological activities and potential toxicity, as well as the potential inclusion of protein hydrolysates or biopeptides into products where they may act like health promoting functional foods/dietary supplements.The authors propose that efforts should focus on the search for increasingly localized, highly effective inoculants adapted for particular cowpea cultivars over a given environmental setting. To demonstrate this, a review is included which will analyzes some of the most pertinent challenges in the search and development of effective cowpea inoculants and suggestions on the way forward.In conclusion, research on the utility of cowpea based diets in domestic ruminants is reviewed, and the translational impacts of these studies for food security and safety and public health has been highlighted.

The story of cowpea (black-eyed peas) is a fascinating example of how science can solve the world's biggest problems—even more fascinating is the story of the scientist behind the research. B.B. Singh wrote this book to serve as an accessible summary of cowpea breeding, management,and use. He has devoted his life's work to solving the ""protein gap"" of the Green Revolution in which the emphasis on corn and wheat neglected the protein-rich legumes vital to plant-based nutrition. Today,under his careful tending, cowpea truly has become the food legume of the century. From genetics to recipes, he gives a full account of how cowpea belongs in our global agriculture and in every diet. Along the way, he shares his inspiring story.

This book examines the development of innovative modern methodologies towards augmenting conventional plant breeding, in individual crops, for the production of new crop varieties under the increasingly limiting environmental and cultivation factors to achieve sustainable agricultural production, enhanced food security, in addition to providing raw materials for innovative industrial products and pharmaceuticals. This is Vol 7, subtitled Legumes, focuses on advances in breeding strategies using both traditional and modern approaches for the improvement of individual legume crops. Included in this volume are Adzuki bean, Black gram, Chickpea Cluster bean, Common bean, Cowpea, Faba bean, Hyacinth bean, Lentil, Mung bean, Pigeonpea and Soybean. This volume is contributed by 57 internationally reputable scientists from 9 countries. Each chapter comprehensively reviews the modern literature on the subject and reflects the authors own experience.

The common beans and pulses are diverse food resources of high nutritional value (protein, energy, fiber and vitamins and minerals) with broad social acceptance. These legume crops demonstrate global adaptability, genotypic and phenotypic diversity, and multiple means of preparation and dietary use. Beans and pulses are produced in regions as diverse as Latin America, Africa, Asia, and North America, and on a scale similar to some other crops, such as wheat, corn, rice and soybeans. Numerous factors influence utilization, including bean type and cultivar selection, cropping environment and systems, storage conditions and handling infrastructure, processing and final product preparation. Nutrient content and bio-availability are dramatically influenced by these conditions. In recent years, beans and pulses have been cited for imparting specific positive health potentiating responses, such as hypocholesteremic response, mitigation of diabetes and colonic cancer, and weight control. Enhanced dry bean utilization focused on improved dietary health is an opportunity within both subsistent and developed populations. This book provides a contemporary source of information that brings together current knowledge and practices in the value chain of beans/pulses production, processing, and nutrition. It provides in-depth coverage of a wide variety of pertinent topics including: breeding, postharvest technologies, composition, processing technologies, food safety, quality, nutrition, and significance in human health. An experienced team of over 25 contributors from North America, Asia, and Africa has written 15 chapters, divided into three sections: Overview, production and postharvest technologies of beans and pulses Composition, value-added processing and quality Culinology, nutrition, and significance in human health Contributors come from a field of diverse disciplines, including crop sciences, food science and technology, food biochemistry, food engineering, nutritional sciences, and culinology. Dry Beans and Pulses Production, Processing and Nutrition is an essential resource for scientists, processors and nutritionists, whatever the work setting.

Legumes are flowering plants found in most of the archeological records of plants. Legumes are efficiently used as food crops for humans and animals, pulps for paper and timber manufacturing, sources for fuel and oil production, ornamental plants, and cover crops such as cereals and other staple foods. Additionally, they can be utilized for other purposes, including the production of massive amounts of organic nitrogen. This book reviews the fundamental advances related to the characterization and breeding of legume crops for improved food security. Moreover, it sheds new light on the current research trends and future research directions related to legume crop studies. This book will provoke interest for various readers, researchers, and scientists, who may find this information useful for the advancement of legume productivity.