This study presents a method to assess yield performance of dual-purpose cowpea types for human consumption and to reveal potentials for further improvement of its use as leafy vegetable. Eleven cowpea accessions with different genetic background and sample status were chosen from AVRDC’s working collection in Arusha, Tanzania. Among them, dual-purpose cowpeas like Dakawa, Ex Iseke and Ngoji were present that the center has been distributing to local farmers. Multi-location trials in typical cowpea production environments were established both on farm and on station in the regions Arusha, Dodoma, and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and in Eastern Region, Uganda during the short and long rainy season 2007 and 2008, respectively. Young, tender leaves were picked in successive leaf harvests about every and two weeks until the plants did not produce further leaves. Cowpea seeds were harvested when pods reached 80% maturity. Data of yield parameters were analyzed with analysis of variance (ANOVA), stability analyses were carried out according to the dynamic and static concepts. Reliability of leaf and seed yield performances were calculated based on the probability of outperformance of local check cowpeas that were previously recommended by farmers and extension workers in informal group sessions. Through NIRS, crude protein and iron contents were assessed in leaves obtained from the second leaf harvests at the different locations and from up to subsequent leaf harvests. Dual-purpose utility for smallholders was assessed through (i) an index of superiority (Si), in which reliabilities of leaf yield across repeated leaf harvests and seed yield were weighed and combined to overall yield benefit of the ith accession, (ii) effective plot length for nutritional component XY, to calculate the length of a plot (in m) that needs to be planted to sustain a five-head household for ten days with a recommended amount of nutrients, and (iii) responsiveness (Resp), reflecting changes of leaf yield (compensation) relative to changes in seed yield (sensitiveness) if harvesting frequency was intensified. Performance of single leaf yields was strongly influenced by environmental factors and, only in Arusha, accession-specific. Interactions between yield reliability and stability were site-specific. Overall, test-accessions achieved higher reliabilities in seed yield than in leaf yield. Only in the on-station trial in Eastern Region, accession IT82D-889, and in the on-farm trial in Kilimanjaro, ILRI11114 and Ex Iseke showed leaf yield reliabilities above 0.50. Iron content in cowpea leaves was highly dependent on environmental influences and varied from 157.4 mg kg-1 to 286.1 mg kg-1. Leaf CP had a broad-sense heritability of 0.87. Across accessions and environments the mean leaf CP content ranged from 37.4% of DM (IT93K-2045-29) to 33.9% of DM (Sudan). CP and leaf dry matter (DM) yield had significantly negative correlation coefficients between. Means of effective plot length for crude protein and iron varied by more than 50% across environments. Although CP, in contrast to iron, was genetically determined, its impact on differences in effective plot length was negligible as well, as differences in production of leaf DM per m2 were by far larger among accessions than those of CP contents. It was recommended to favor accessions with short effective plot lengths and higher CP contents in leaf yields over those with short effective plot lengths and low CP contents. In contrast to determinate cowpeas, indeterminate types increased their DM gain in aerial plant parts of leaf-harvested plants relatively to unharvested plants. Indeterminate cowpeas responded with high leaf yield increases if leaves were picked twice a week. Consequently yields of total edible DM of these plant types, comprising added seed and leaf yields, increased with intensification of leaf-harvesting frequency from once to twice a week. Determinate plant types yielded highest in total edible DM when only seed was harvested or in less intensive leaf-harvesting scenarios. Accessions with favorable responsiveness, reflecting leaf yield changes relative to seed yield changes under intensified leaf-harvesting frequency, were Sudan, ILRI11114, and IT93K2045-29. In contrast, Resps of SAM45 and ILRI15742 were poorest. Traits have to be identified that could explicitly improve Resp of cowpea types. Improving quantitative yield parameters should not result in quality decrease. The dual-purpose characteristics of local checks were mainly superior to the eleven test-accessions pointing to a demand on improved leaf yield performance that is not merely total leaf yield amount but also the continuance during repeated leaf harvesting. By the proposed method the status quo of a defined location, i.e. site-specific demands on germplasm, can be included in the analysis, serving as benchmark for improvement if the local check is chosen carefully. Since single leaf yields are the results of fairly complex and dynamic interactions between plant physiological processes and environmental conditions it is essential to conduct participatory variety selection and plant breeding trials for dual-purpose assessments in target environments and not ex situ.

"An indispensable source for researchers, teachers, and graduate and postgraduate students interested in mutation breeding and genetic engineering. It introduces readers to contemporary knowledge and state-of-the-art technologies in the field of mutation breeding, including fundamental mechanisms and applications. . . . It will provide new directions, and avenues for enhancement of food security and food quality by using the latest techniques for the 'mutation as breeding' approach." - From Prof. Jameel M. Al-Khayri, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia This comprehensive three-volume set book aims to help combat the challenge of providing enough food for the world by the use of advanced genetic processes to improve crop production, both in quantity and quality. Volume 1: Mutagenesis and Crop Improvement discusses mutagenesis, cytotoxicity, and crop improvement, covering the processes, mutagenic effectiveness, and mechanisms. The volume emphasizes the improvement of agronomic characteristics by manipulating the genotype of plant species, resulting in increased productivity. Volume 2: Revolutionizing Plant Biology covers the use of mutagenesis and biotechnology to explore the variability of mutant genes for crop improvement. The chapters deal with in-vitro mutagenesis to exploit the somaclonal variations induced in cell culture and highlight the importance of in-vitro mutagenesis in inducing salt resistance, heat resistance, and drought resistance. Volume 3: Mechanisms for Genetic Manipulation of Plants and Plant Mutants reviews the genetic engineering techniques used to mutate genes and to incorporate them into different plant species of cereals, pulses, vegetables, and fruits. Also discussed are the principles of genetic engineering by which desired genes can be transferred from plants to animals to microorganisms and vice versa.

The cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.], a legume which originated in Africa, is now grown in the Tropics and many subtropical regions. Cowpea is of significance for food and feed and its yield is frequently severely affected by drought, resulting in its low average yield. Hence the influence of water deficit on gas exchange, growth, development and yield of cowpea was studied here, with the aim of contributing to our understanding of the response of cowpeas to water deficit and to the provision of efficient and viable information for breeding of drought resistant genotypes. To achieve this aim, several traits were examined, which included - gas exchange [stomatal conductance (gs), net photosynthetic rate PN), transpiration rate (E) and intrinsic transpiration efficiency TEi)], evapotranspiration efficiency (ETE), water use (WU) and yield/yield components, - relationship among these traits and variability among the various genotypes. From the results it was expected that it would be possible to find efficient plant types and characteristics to predict ETE and yield which could eventually be used in cowpea drought resistance breeding programmes. For this purpose three pot experiments were conducted in the greenhouse under drip irrigation. The control (well-watered treatment) was irrigated continuously from the beginning to the end of the experiments, while the water-deficit treatment experienced a reduced irrigation resulting in a soil water potential of -350 to -450hPa at the onset of flowering for 14 to 21 days. Measurement and analyses of various traits were carried out before the induction of water-deficit stress, during and at the end of stress. All remaining plants were then fully irrigated up to the end of the experiments. In experiments 1 and 2 the plants were harvested at maturity to determine yield and yield components, and biomass and ETE. Water-deficit stress impacted on all analysed traits and there were variations among genotypes in both treatments. Water deficit elicited the reduction of leaf relative water content and stomatal conductance. Consequently, PN and E declined as well. However, E decreased more than PN due to the influence of stress, generally leading to a higher TEi of the water-deficit treatment. There were differences among experiments, probably due to interactions between the genotypes and the environment. After stress, gas exchange recovered to similar levels of the control treatment. Biomass production, water use and evapotranspiration efficiency varied among genotypes within and between treatments. Compared with the control, water use and growth rate decreased clearly under stress. The role of PN for biomass production became evident in the positive correlation between both parameters. TEi had no distinct relationship to ETE. Three traits, specifically leaf temperature (ΔT), leaf senescence (expressed as leaf shedding score, LSS) and cell membrane stability (CMS, calculated from electrolyte leakage values) distinguish themselves as valuable tools for drought resistance analysis. ΔT rose up to 3°C higher under stress than well-watered conditions. LSS increased under stress as well, whereby the genotypes which shed a relative high number of leaves under well-watered conditions also shed an even higher amount of leaves under stress. The sole genotype which retained all its leaves under stress, UCR 328, maintained all its leaves green, which was probably tremendously valuable for a quick recovery of different plant processes after stress. ΔT was consistently positively correlated with LSS, but negatively with CMS, particularly under stress. ΔT and LSS also displayed significant relationships with ETE, TEi, grain yield and harvest index (HI). Owing to the fact that ΔT and LSS are simple, fast, cheap and non-invasively determined, they could be used in drought resistance breeding programmes as indirect selection traits for efficient plant types regarding transpiration, TEi, ETE and yield. The various genotypes yielded differently and the HI also varied under both treatments, a probable indication of differing genotypic yield potential. Water deficit at flowering reduced yield, but some genotypes had a higher HI. Generally, the genotypes with a high “yield potential” also manifested a higher yield under stress. TVu 12348 had the highest yield stability, but a low yield potential. UCR 328 and IFH 27-8 had a relatively high yield stability coupled with a high yield under stress.