期刊名称：International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation
电子版ISSN：2141-243X
出版年度：2016
卷号：8
期号：11
页码：297-309
DOI：10.5897/IJBC2016.0946
语种：English
出版社：Academic Journals
摘要：This study was carried out to identify and document the landrace (farmers’ variety) diversity and ethnobotany of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) (Fabaceae) in Northern Ethiopia. A total of 54 germplasm accessions and six representative voucher specimens of cowpea were collected from different geographical locations of Ethiopia ranging from 1260–2140 m a.s.l. within the grid references of 10o 00’ to 14o 00’ N and 38o 00’ to 40o 00’ E. Of these, 45 (83%) were local farmers’ varieties and 9 (17%) were commercial varieties introduced by the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and the Melkassa Agricultural Research Center (MARC). The majority of farmers (60) (75%) preferred the erect type of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata subsp. cylindrica (L.) Verdc. farmers’ variety locally named Kimite (short drought resistant) and subsp. cylindrica (L.) Verdc. farmers’ variety Chekele (dry season crop). The spreading type of cowpea (subsp. unguiculata farmers’ variety Jergadie - stretched type) produces much more vegetative parts than grains. Farmers mainly used it for improving soil fertility and for animal feed. In Amhara Region, cowpea is mainly used for human food in the form of boiled grains (Nifro), bread (Kita) and as ingredient for various sauces (Shiro Wet). There are high potential areas for cowpea production; but the actual production by local farmers is restricted to only few areas. Given the current paucity in making use of the locally available germplasm by farmers, the responsible body (MARC) for cowpea research and development would need to mount an aggressive enhancement and/or distribution of the important cowpea landraces to the areas where the crop can be suitably grown by local small scale farmers.
