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Premise: Vigna includes economically vital crops and wild species. Molecular systematic studies of Vigna species resulted in generic segregates of many New World (NW) species. However, limited Old World (OW) sampling left questions regarding inter- and intraspecific relationships in Vigna s.s., Methods: African species, including the putative sister genus Physostigma, were comprehensively sampled within the context of NW relatives. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses of the chloroplast matK-trnK and nuclear ribosomal ITS/5.8 S (ITS) DNA regions were undertaken to resolve OW Vigna taxonomic questions. Divergence dates were estimated using BEAST to date key nodes in the phylogeny., Results: Analyses of matK and ITS data supported five clades of Vigna s.s.: subg. Lasiospron, a reduced subg. Vigna, subg. Haydonia, subg. Ceratotropis, an enlarged subg. Plectrotropis, and a clade including V. kirkii and V. stenophylla. Genome size estimates of 601 Mb for V. kirkii are near the overall mean of the genus, whereas V. stenophylla had a larger genome (810 Mb), similar to some Vigna subg. Ceratotropis or Plectrotropis species., Conclusions: Former subg. Vigna is reduced to yellow- and blue-flowered species and subg. Plectrotropis is enlarged to mostly all white-, pink-, and purple-flowered species. The age of the split between NW and OW Vigna lineages is ~6-7 Myr. Genome size estimates cannot rule out a polyploid or hybrid origin for V. stenophylla, potentially involving extinct lineage ancestors of Vigna subg. Ceratotropis or Plectrotropis, as indicated by network and phylogenetic analyses. Taxonomic revisions are suggested based on these results., (© 2024 Botanical Society of America.)

Vigna is a large, pan-tropic and highly variable group of the legumes family which is known for its > 10 cultivated species having significant commercial value for their nutritious grains and multifarious uses. The wild vignas are considered a reservoir of numerous useful traits which can be deployed for introgression of resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, seed quality and enhanced survival capability in extreme environments. Nonetheless, for their effective utilization through introgression breeding information on their genetic diversity, population structure and crossability is imperative. Keeping this in view, the present experiment was undertaken with 119 accessions including 99 wild Vigna accessions belonging to 19 species and 18 cultivated genotypes of Vigna and 2 of Phaseolus. Total 102 polymorphic SSRs were deployed to characterize the material at molecular level which produced 1758 alleles. The genotypes were grouped into four major clusters which were further sub-divided in nine sub-clusters. Interestingly, all cultivated species shared a single cluster while no such similarities were observed for the wild accessions as these were distributed in different groups of sub-clusters. The co-dominant allelic data of 114 accessions were then utilized for obtaining status of the accessions and their hybrid forms. The model-based population structure analysis categorized 114 accessions of Vigna into 6 genetically distinct sub-populations (K = 6) following admixture-model based simulation with varying levels of admixture. 91 (79.82%) accessions resembled their hierarchy and 23 (20.18%) accessions were observed as the admixture forms. Maximum number of accessions (25) were grouped in sub-population (SP) 6 and the least accessions were grouped in SP3 and SP5 (11 each). The population genetic structure, therefore, supported genetic diversity analysis and provided an insight into the genetic lineage of these species which will help in effective use of germplasm for development of cultivars following selective prebreeding activities., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Zinc (Zn) is an important micronutrient for crop plants and essential for human health. The Zn-deficiency is an important malnutrition problem known globally. Biofortified foods could overcome Zn deficiency in humans. Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] is an important, pulse crop frequently grown in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Mungbean could provide essential micronutrients, including Zn to humans. Therefore, it is very important to investigate the impact of Zn fertilization on the yield and grain biofortification of mungbean. Twelve mungbean genotypes (i.e., NM-28, NM-2011, NM-13-1, NM-2006, NM-51, NM-54, NM-19-19, NM-92, NM-121-25, NM-20-21, 7006, 7008) were assessed for their genetic diversity followed by Zn-biofortification, growth and yield under control (0 kg ha-1) and Zn-fertilized (10 kg ha-1) conditions. Data relating to allometric traits, yield components, grain yield and grain Zn contents were recorded. Zinc fertilization improved entire allometric and yield-related traits. Grain yield of different genotypes ranged from 439 to 904 kg ha-1 under control and 536 to 1462 kg ha-1 under Zn-fertilization. Zinc concentration in the grains varied from 15.50 to 45.60 mg kg-1 under control and 18.53 to 64.23 mg kg-1 under Zn-fertilized conditions. The tested genotypes differed in their Zn-biofortification potential. The highest and the lowest grain Zn contents were noted for genotypes NM-28 and NM-121-25, respectively. Significant variation in yield and Zn-biofortification indicated the potential for improvement in mungbean yield and grain Zn-biofortification. The genotypes NM-28 and NM-2006 could be used in breeding programs for improvement in grain Zn concentration due to their high Zn uptake potential. Nonetheless, all available genotypes in the country should be screened for their Zn-biofortification potential., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

With its drought tolerant and protein-rich properties, Bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.], an indigenous African legume crop can contribute immensely to food security. This miracle crop is used as food and for the enhancement of soil fertility in South Africa. Knowledge on the genetic diversity and structure among the Bambara groundnut landraces can pave the way for the effective use and cultivation of this crop in southern Africa, especially South Africa. The aim of this study was to assess the genetic diversity and structure among Bambara groundnut landraces collected across South Africa and compared to a limited number of accessions from southern Africa using SSR markers. Seventy-eight Bambara groundnut accessions were genotyped using 19 Bambara specific SSR markers. SSR loci explored in this study, were all polymorphic. A total of 127 alleles were detected with a mean of 6.7 alleles per locus. Allele diversity and frequency among genotypes varied from 0.21 to 0.85 with an average of 0.62 per locus. Genetic variation as described by the analysis of molecular variance indicated higher genetic diversity (92%) within landraces than between (8%) different landraces. Population structure analysis showed that three subpopulations existed, and most of the South African accessions were restricted to one subpopulation, indicating that Bambara landraces has the ability to form unique haplotypes in different environments. Information harnessed in this study is helpful for further use in breeding programs for crop improvement.

Grain legumes are important crops, but they are salt sensitive. This research dissected the responses of four (sub)tropical grain legumes to ionic components (Na + and/or Cl - ) of salt stress. Soybean, mungbean, cowpea, and common bean were subjected to NaCl, Na + salts (without Cl - ), Cl - salts (without Na + ), and a "high cation" negative control for 57 days. Growth, leaf gas exchange, and tissue ion concentrations were assessed at different growing stages. For soybean, NaCl and Na + salts impaired seed dry mass (30% of control), more so than Cl - salts (60% of control). All treatments impaired mungbean growth, with NaCl and Cl - salt treatments affecting seed dry mass the most (2% of control). For cowpea, NaCl had the greatest adverse impact on seed dry mass (20% of control), while Na + salts and Cl - salts had similar intermediate effects (~45% of control). For common bean, NaCl had the greatest adverse effect on seed dry mass (4% of control), while Na + salts and Cl - salts impaired seed dry mass to a lesser extent (~45% of control). NaCl and Na + salts (without Cl - ) affected the photosynthesis ( P n ) of soybean more than Cl - salts (without Na + ) (50% of control), while the reverse was true for mungbean. Na + salts (without Cl - ), Cl - salts (without Na + ), and NaCl had similar adverse effects on P n of cowpea and common bean (~70% of control). In conclusion, salt sensitivity is predominantly determined by Na + toxicity in soybean, Cl - toxicity in mungbean, and both Na + and Cl - toxicity in cowpea and common bean.

In most diploids the centromere-specific histone H3 (CENH3), the assembly site of active centromeres, is encoded by a single copy gene. Persistance of two CENH3 paralogs in diploids species raises the possibility of subfunctionalization. Here we analysed both CENH3 genes of the  diploid dryland crop cowpea. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that gene duplication of CENH3 occurred independently during the speciation of Vigna unguiculata. Both functional CENH3 variants are transcribed, and the corresponding proteins are intermingled in subdomains of different types of centromere sequences in a tissue-specific manner together with the kinetochore protein CENPC. CENH3.2 is removed from the generative cell of mature pollen, while CENH3.1 persists. CRISPR/Cas9-based inactivation of CENH3.1 resulted in delayed vegetative growth and sterility, indicating that this variant is needed for plant development and reproduction. By contrast, CENH3.2 knockout individuals did not show obvious defects during vegetative and reproductive development. Hence, CENH3.2 of cowpea is likely at an early stage of pseudogenization and less likely undergoing subfunctionalization.

The nutritive peculiarities and original distribution of 24 Chinese cowpeas cultivars, achieved from Jiangxi, Jilin, Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces in China, were evaluated. Their nutritional components were determined and nutrient characteristics were discussed. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to classify the cowpea samples based on their nutrient composition. The results discovered that the proximate composition varied among 24 cowpeas in protein (17.30-27.23%), fat (1.87-3.14%), high level of dietary fiber (29.49-38.54%) and resistant starch (3.18-31.33%). The total tocopherol varied from 74.20 to 187.07 μg/g. PCA results presented that the 24 cowpeas cultivars were automatically grouped with provinces of origin, indicating a relationship between nutrient composition and cultivating religion for cowpeas. The results of this study provide us the information on the nutrients characteristic of current cowpeas in China, and give a guideline on cowpea cultivating optimization and processing., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Molecular markers are considered powerful tools to identify the potential genetic variation. Forty-two RAPD, ISSR and SSR markers were employed to characterize 21 mungbean genotypes. RAPD primers produced 79 polymorphic bands while ISSR and SSR markers amplified 21 and 6 polymorphic bands, respectively. The range for minimum and maximum number of bands was 3-13, 3-9 and 1-2 and average alleles per loci were 8.17, 4.3 and 1 for RAPD, ISSR and SSR, respectively. Highest polymorphism percentage was 100% for both ISSR and SSR while 80% for RAPD markers. The SSR-VR-303 and ISSR-UBC-810 had highest PIC values (0.44, 0.72) indicating the more discriminating power of these primers for diversity analysis. RAPD primer OPA-7 with maximum PIC value (0.26) resulted in good amplification. Jaccard's similarity coefficient ranged between 0.50 to 1, 0.64 to 1 and 0.75 to 1 for SSR, ISSR and RAPD primers, respectively, indicating less genetic divergence among studied material. Dendrogram based on Unweighted Pair Group Method of Arithmetic Means (UPGMA) grouped mungbean genotypes into two to three major clusters for different marker system with up to 100% genetic relatedness among different cultivars. Molecular genetic divergence identified can be utilized to widen the genetic base in mungbean breeding programs.

Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] is one of the important climate-resilient legume crops for food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa. Ethiopia is believed to harbor high cowpea genetic diversity, but this has not yet been efficiently characterized and exploited in breeding. The objective of this study was to evaluate the extent and pattern of genetic diversity in 357 cowpea accestions comprising landraces (87%), breeding lines (11%) and released varieties (2%), using single nucleotide polymorphism markers. The overall gene diversity and heterozygosity were 0.28 and 0.12, respectively. The genetic diversity indices indicated substantial diversity in Ethiopian cowpea landraces. Analysis of molecular variance showed that most of the variation was within in the population (46%) and 44% between individuals, with only 10% of the variation being among populations. Model-based ancestry analysis, the phylogenetic tree, discriminant analysis of principal components and principal coordinate analysis classified the 357 genotypes into three well-differentiated genetic populations. Genotypes from the same region grouped into different clusters, while others from different regions fell into the same cluster. This indicates that differences in regions of origin may not be the main driver determining the genetic diversity in cowpea in Ethiopia. Therefore, differences in sources of origin, as currently distributed in Ethiopia, should not necessarily be used as indices of genetic diversity. Choice of parental lines should rather be based on a systematic assessment of genetic diversity in a specific population. The study also suggested 94 accesstions as core collection which retained 100% of the genetic diversity from the entire collection. This core set represents 26% of the entire collection pinpointing a wide distribution of the diversity within the ethiopian landraces. The outcome of this study provided new insights into the genetic diversity and population structure in Ethiopian cowpea genetic resources for designing effective collection and conservation strategies for efficient utilization in breeding., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Improved varieties have agronomic advantages over local varieties,but not much attention has been given to understand the nutritional content of the improved cowpea varieties released in Swaziland. This study investigated the physical and nutritional properties of improved cowpea varieties released in Swaziland. Five improved varieties (IT-04K-321-2, IT-97K-390-2, IT-18, IT-16, and IT-99K-494-6) and one local variety (Mtilane, as check) were analyzed for physical and chemical properties. The results showed that there were variations in seed weight as the values ranged between 12.5 and 18.5 g per 100 g seed weight. The protein content ranged from 25.38% to 27.56% with no significant difference (P < 0.05) between the improved varieties  and the local variety, ash content ranged between 3.47 and 6.84%, crude fiber was between 5.81 and 15.08%, and carbohydrate ranged from 45.64 to 57.12%.  Contents of calcium ranged from 9 to 36 mg/100 g and of iron from  2.0 to 2.4 mg/kg, with significant differences (P  < 0.05)  between the varieties with highest and the lowest values. Zinc content ranged from 7 mg/kg to 8 mg/kg, with no significant difference (P >0.05) among the varieties. The improved varieties have high seed weight, which is an essential factor that farmers consider when choosing a variety to adopt. In terms of addressing nutritional security, the crop is suitable for addressing protein-energy malnutrition and formulating blends for baby foods in Swaziland.

There is a need to improve research and extension documentation to assist farmers in making better use of the available resistant cowpea genotypes to insects attack during storage. A study was conducted to determine the resistance of ten cowpea genotypes [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] to Callosobruchus maculatus F. attack in the Sudano-Guinean and Sudano-Sahelian agro-ecological zones (SS) of Cameroon. Thereafter, seeds were analyzed for physical properties and chemical composition to determine the main parameters of their resistance against C. maculatus. The SS was more suitable for insect infestation. Genotypes were classified into resistant to highly susceptible. Results showed that the physical characteristics of seeds were less important than the chemical components for conferring resistance to C. maculatus. Two genotypes, Samira and Lade, consistently demonstrated high tolerance to infestation by C. maculatus, and therefore may be recommended for use in breeding programs as a source of resistance and then to minimize the dependence on insecticides for the control of insect pests under subsistence farming conditions in Cameroon.

The moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia), possibly the most primitive crop of the genus Vigna, is a highly drought- and heat-resistant legume grown in arid areas. Moth bean domestication involved phenotypic changes, including reduction of seed dormancy and pod shattering, increased organ size, and earlier flowering and maturity. However, the genetics of the domestication process in moth bean is not known. In this study, we constructed a genetic linkage map for moth bean and used the map to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for domestication-related traits of an F 2 population of 188 individuals produced from a cross of wild moth bean (TN67) and cultivated moth bean (ICPMO056). The genetic linkage map comprised 11 linkage groups (LG) of 172 simple sequence repeat markers and spanned a total length of 1016.8 centiMorgan (cM), with an average marker distance of 7.34 cM. A comparative genome analysis showed high genome synteny between moth bean and mungbean (Vigna radiata), adzuki bean (Vigna angularis), rice bean (Vigna umbellata), and yardlong bean (Vigna unguiculata). In total, 50 QTLs and 3 genes associated with 20 domestication-related traits were identified. Most of the QTLs belonged to five LGs (1, 2, 4, 7, and 10). Key traits related to domestication such as seed dormancy and pod shattering were controlled by large-effect QTLs (PVE > 20%) with one or two minor QTLs, whereas all other traits were controlled by one-seven minor QTLs, apart from seed weight, which was controlled by one major and seven minor QTLs. These results suggest that a small number of mutations with large phenotypic effects have contributed to the domestication of the moth bean. Comparative analysis of QTLs with related Vigna crops revealed that there are several domestication-related large-effect QTLs that had not been used in moth bean domestication. This study provides a basic genetic map and identified genome regions associated with domestication-related traits, which will be useful for the genetic improvement of the moth bean and related Vigna species.

Genus Vigna represented by more than 100 species is a source of nutritious edible seeds and sprouts that are rich sources of protein and dietary supplements. It is further valuable because of therapeutic attributes due to its antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties. A highly diverse and an extremely ecological niche of different species can be valuable genomic resources for productivity enhancement. It is one of the most underutilized crops for food security and animal feeds. In spite of huge species diversity, only three species of Vigna have been sequenced; thus, there is a need for molecular markers for the remaining species. Computational approach of microsatellite marker discovery along with evaluation of polymorphism utilizing available genomic data of different genotypes can be a quick and an economical approach for genomic resource development. Cross-species transferability by e-PCR over available genomes can further prioritize the potential SSR markers, which could be used for genetic diversity and population differentiation of the remaining species saving cost and time. We present VigSatDB-the world's first comprehensive microsatellite database of genus Vigna, containing >875 K putative microsatellite markers with 772 354 simple and 103 865 compound markers mined from six genome assemblies of three Vigna species, namely, Vigna radiata (Mung bean), Vigna angularis (Adzuki bean) and Vigna unguiculata (Cowpea). It also contains 1976 validated published markers. Markers can be selected on the basis of chromosomes/location specificity, and primers can be generated using Primer3core tool integrated at backend. Efficacy of VigSatDB for microsatellite loci genotyping has been evaluated by 15 markers over a panel of 10 diverse genotype of V. radiata. Our web genomic resources can be used in diversity analysis, population and varietal differentiation, discovery of quantitative trait loci/genes, marker-assisted varietal improvement in endeavor of Vigna crop productivity and management., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press.)

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture maintains the world's largest collection of cowpea germplasm of over 15,000 accessions. A sub-set of 298 lines from the loosely composed mini core collection of 370 landraces were genotyped based on genotyping by sequencing (GBS). Ward's minimum variance hierarchical cluster analysis, model-based ancestry analysis and discriminant analysis of principal component (DAPC) were carried out on this sub-set. Three clusters were identified by the different clustering methods. Principal component analysis further supported the three clusters especially when accessions are scattered along the axes of the first two principal components. The first two principal components explained a total of 22.30% of the variation. Cluster one comprises 115 accessions from the largest number of countries and has the highest gene diversity, heterozygosity and polymorphic information content (PIC) values. Cluster two is made up of 102 accessions, 90 percent of which are from West and Central Africa. Analysis of molecular variance shows that the most variation is among accessions and lowest among clusters. No cluster is made exclusively of accessions from a single country. Based on SNP markers, the sub set of cowpea mini core germplasm collection used in this study encompasses the diversity in the crop.

Bambara groundnut is one of the under-utilized African legume crops, valued for its nutritional and health benefits, and for which ongoing studies will help to distinguish its many landraces and select the promising one for breeding programs. To describe the polar metabolome of the seed from 21 Bambara groundnut landraces, untargeted metabolomics approach using UPLC-qTOF-MS (Ultra performance liquid chromatography-Quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry) was performed. Metabolites belonging to varied compound classes were detected and identified. The total phenolic, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents varied from 0.75 to 17.71 mg GAE.g -1 , 0.01 to 2.51 mg QUE.g -1 and 0.03 to 1.31 mg CYE.g -1 , respectively. Unsupervised statistics highlighted differences in the metabolome of different landraces. Principal component analysis revealed that caffeic and catechin conjugates are the most decisive marker compounds discriminating the landraces. This study provides the most complete map of metabolites in Bambara groundnut seeds and demonstrates that UPLC-qTOF-MS coupled with chemometric is an excellent tool for differentiation between landraces. These findings highlight the potential of Bambara groundnuts as an economic source of natural antioxidants for human consumption and food industries, and therefore open horizons to the industrial use of Bambara groundnut flours in the development of functional food and feed products., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Seed shipments, silos and storage houses often contain weed seeds or seeds of restricted crops such as undeclared genetically modified (GM) varieties. Random sub-sampling is the favoured approach to detect unwanted biological materials in seed lots but is prohibitively expensive or else ineffective for the huge volumes of seeds moved in commercial operations. This study uses maize and cowpea seed admixtures as an exemplar to evaluate the feasibility of using aerosol sampling of "seed dust" as an alternative to seed sub-sampling. In an initial calibration phase, qPCR of the rbcL barcode followed by high-resolution melting (HRM) of a DNA titration series revealed a strong linear relationship between mix composition and HRM profiles. However, the relationship became skewed when flour mixes were used to build the titration, implying a DNA extraction bias favouring cowpea. Aerosol samples of seed dust above a titration of mixed seed samples were then collected along vertical and lateral axes. Aerosols were characterised by light microscopy, qPCR-HRM and next-generation DNA sequencing (Illumina MiSeq). Both molecular approaches again showed bias but this time in a reverse direction to flour samples. Microscopic examination of the aerosol sample suggested this divergence could be attributed to differences in abundance of airborne starch particles. Despite the bias, it was nevertheless possible to estimate relative abundance of each species using the abundance of minibarcodes. In light of these results we explore the feasibility of aerosol sampling for commercial seed lot characterisation., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Plant glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are integral to normal plant metabolism and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. The GST gene family has been characterized in diverse plant species using molecular biology and bioinformatics approaches. In the current study, in silico analysis identified 44 GSTs in Vigna radiata. Of the total 44 GSTs identified, chromosomal locations of 31 GSTs were confirmed. The pI value of GST proteins ranged from 5.10 to 9.40. The predicted molecular weights ranged from 13.12 to 50 kDa. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that all GSTs were predominantly localized in the cytoplasm. The active site amino acids were confirmed to be serine in tau, phi, theta, zeta, and TCHQD; cysteine in lambda, DHAR, and omega; and tyrosine in EF1G. The gene architecture conformed to the two-exon/one-intron and three-exon/two-intron organization in the case of tau and phi classes, respectively. MEME analysis identified 10 significantly conserved motifs with the width of 8-50 amino acids. The motifs identified were either specific to a specific GST class or were shared by multiple GST classes. The results of the current study will be of potential importance in the characterization of the GST gene family in V. radiata, an economically important leguminous crop.

Mung bean and adzuki bean are warm-season legumes widely cultivated in China. However, bean production in major producing regions is limited by biotic and abiotic stress, such as drought and salt stress. Basic leucine zipper (bZIP) genes play key roles in responses to various biotic and abiotic stresses. However, only several bZIP genes involved in drought and salt stress in legumes, especially Vigna radiata and Vigna angularis, have been identified. In this study, we identified 54 and 50 bZIP proteins from whole-genome sequences of V. radiata and V. angularis, respectively. First, we comprehensively surveyed the characteristics of all bZIP genes, including their gene structure, chromosome distribution and motif composition. Phylogenetic trees showed that VrbZIP and VabZIP proteins were divided into ten clades comprising nine known and one unknown subgroup. The results of the nucleotide substitution rate of the orthologous gene pairs showed that bZIP proteins have undergone strong purifying selection: V. radiata and V. angularis diverged 1.25 million years ago (mya) to 9.20 mya (average of 4.95 mya). We also found that many cis-acting regulatory elements (CAREs) involved in abiotic stress and plant hormone responses were detected in the putative promoter regions of the bZIP genes. Finally, using the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) method, we performed expression profiling of the bZIP genes in response to drought, salt and abscisic acid (ABA). We identified several bZIP genes that may be involved in drought and salt responses. Generally, our results provided useful and rich resources of VrbZIP and VabZIP genes for the functional characterization and understanding of bZIP transcription factors (TFs) in warm-season legumes. In addition, our results revealed important and interesting data - a subset of VrbZIP and VabZIP gene expression profiles in response to drought, salt and ABA stress. These results provide gene expression evidence for the selection of candidate genes under drought and salt stress for future study., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC) populations are an emerging type of resource for dissecting the genetic structure of traits and improving breeding populations. We developed a MAGIC population for cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) from eight founder parents. These founders were genetically diverse and carried many abiotic and biotic stress resistance, seed quality and agronomic traits relevant to cowpea improvement in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa, where cowpea is vitally important in the human diet and local economies. The eight parents were inter-crossed using structured matings to ensure that the population would have balanced representation from each parent, followed by single-seed descent, resulting in 305 F 8 recombinant inbred lines each carrying a mosaic of genome blocks contributed by all founders. This was confirmed by single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping with the Illumina Cowpea Consortium Array. These lines were on average 99.74% homozygous but also diverse in agronomic traits across environments. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified for several parental traits. Loci with major effects on photoperiod sensitivity and seed size were also verified by biparental genetic mapping. The recombination events were concentrated in telomeric regions. Due to its broad genetic base, this cowpea MAGIC population promises breakthroughs in genetic gain, QTL and gene discovery, enhancement of breeding populations and, for some lines, direct releases as new varieties., (© 2018 The Authors. The Plant Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Experimental Biology.)

Background: Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is an important legume crop due to its high protein content, adaptation to heat and drought and capacity to fix nitrogen. Europe has a deficit of cowpea production. Knowledge of genetic diversity among cowpea landraces is important for the preservation of local varieties and is the basis to obtain improved varieties. The aims of this study were to explore diversity and the genetic structure of a set of Iberian Peninsula cowpea accessions in comparison to a worldwide collection and to infer possible dispersion routes of cultivated cowpea., Results: The Illumina Cowpea iSelect Consortium Array containing 51,128 SNPs was used to genotype 96 cowpea accessions including 43 landraces and cultivars from the Iberian Peninsula, and 53 landraces collected worldwide. Four subpopulations were identified. Most Iberian Peninsula accessions clustered together with those from other southern European and northern African countries. Only one accession belonged to another subpopulation, while two accessions were 'admixed'. A lower genetic diversity level was found in the Iberian Peninsula accessions compared to worldwide cowpeas., Conclusions: The genetic analyses performed in this study brought some insights into worldwide genetic diversity and structure and possible dispersion routes of cultivated cowpea. Also, it provided an in-depth analysis of genetic diversity in Iberian Peninsula cowpeas that will help guide crossing strategies in breeding programs.

Background: Assessment of genetic diversity of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp (cowpea) accessions using informative molecular markers is imperative for their genetic improvement and conservation. Use of efficacious molecular markers to obtain the required knowledge of the genetic diversity within the local and regional germplasm collections can enhance the overall effectiveness of cowpea improvement programs, hence, the comparative assessment of Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and Start codon targeted (SCoT) markers in genetic diversity of V. unguiculata accessions from different regions in Nigeria. Comparative analysis of the genetic diversity of eighteen accessions from different locations in Nigeria was investigated using ISSR and SCoT markers. DNA extraction was done using Zymogen Kit according to its manufacturer's instructions followed by amplifications with ISSR and SCoT and agarose gel electrophoresis. The reproducible bands were scored for analyses of dendrograms, principal component analysis, genetic diversity, allele frequency, polymorphic information content, and population structure., Results: Both ISSR and SCoT markers resolved the accessions into five major clusters based on dendrogram and principal component analyses. Alleles of 32 and 52 were obtained with ISSR and SCoT, respectively. Numbers of alleles, gene diversity and polymorphic information content detected with ISSR were 9.4000, 0.7358 and 0.7192, while SCoT yielded 11.1667, 0.8158 and 0.8009, respectively. Polymorphic loci were 70 and 80 in ISSR and SCoT, respectively. Both markers produced high polymorphism (94.44-100%). The ranges of effective number of alleles (Ne) were 1.2887 ± 0.1797-1.7831 ± 0.2944 and 1.7416 ± 0.0776-1.9181 ± 0.2426 in ISSR and SCoT, respectively. The Nei's genetic diversity (H) ranged from 0.2112 ± 0.0600-0.4335 ± 0.1371 and 0.4111 ± 0.0226-0.4778 ± 0.1168 in ISSR and SCoT, respectively. Shannon's information index (I) from ISSR and SCoT were 0.3583 ± 0.0639-0.6237 ± 0.1759 and 0.5911 ± 0.0233-0.6706 ± 0.1604. Total gene diversity (Ht), gene diversity within population (Hs), coefficient of gene differentiation (Gst) and level of gene flow (Nm) revealed by ISSR were 0.4498, 0.3203, 0.2878 and 1.2371 respectively, while SCoT had 0.4808, 0.4522, 0.0594 and 7.9245., Conclusions: Both markers showed highest genetic diversity in accessions from Ebonyi. Our study demonstrated that SCoT markers were more efficient than ISSR for genetic diversity studies in V. unguiculata and can be integrated in the exploration of their genetic diversity for improvement and germplasm utilization.

Background: Cowpea fresh pods are consumed as green vegetables in many countries in Southern Europe. Among cowpea cultivated material, a relatively large number of landraces can be found, maintaining species genetic diversity. To assess the value of these landraces in breeding programs, the characterization and estimation of diversity levels is therefore required. In the present study, an estimation of the diversity and evaluation of cowpea landraces originating from Portugal, Spain and Greece, in terms of their fresh pod traits, was performed, aiming to assist with the problem of low cowpea production in Southern Europe., Results: A notable mean total phenotypic diversity (H T = 0.57) was observed in the whole collection. The Spanish cv. - gr. unguiculata collection exhibited the highest value of total phenotypic diversity (0.56). Landraces did not differ significantly from each other regarding the three countries of origin. Landraces such as Cp4906, Vg60 and BGE038478 presenting higher values of some traits studied could contribute to the breeding of new cowpea varieties for fresh pod production. Positive correlations were observed, indicating the feasibility of breeding for preferable traits regarding fresh pod consumption., Conclusion: The present study has revealed a wide diversity among and within cowpea landraces that could enhance fresh pod production in South European countries. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Cowpea is a grain legume native from Africa and is a primary source of protein for millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the developing world. The main important characteristics of this crop include a good protein quality with a high nutritional value, its nitrogen-fixing ability, and an ability to be more drought- and heat-tolerant than most of its legume relatives. In a research perspective, studies of cowpea are relatively scarce, despite its relevance to agriculture in the developing world and its resilience to stress. The present review provides an overview of different aspects of cowpea, with a special emphasis on the molecular markers for assessing genetic diversity, as well as on biochemical and transcriptomic data with respect to evaluating cowpea drought stress tolerance. The integration of both datasets will be useful for the improvement of cowpea because research on drought stress tolerance is of major interest for this crop in a challenging environment. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Cowpea is traditionally cultivated in some regions of southern Europe for its dried seeds; however, there is a scarcity of information on the quality and dietary characteristics of fresh pods, which are occasionally used in folk diets. This paper aims at covering this gap in knowledge, thereby contributing to the dissemination of fresh cowpea pods as a novel product for the market. The quality and dietary characteristics of pods from 37 accessions (Vigna unguiculata ssp. unguiculata and ssp. sesquipedalis) grown in southern Europe were assessed in an attempt to provide information on pod quality and nutritional properties and to identify relationships between quality traits and accession origin., Results: Pods from the sesquipedalis accessions were heavier and larger, and reached commercial maturity 2 days later, than those from the unguiculata accessions. There were also large differences in the quality and dietary characteristics of the accessions. The pods of most accessions were rich in proteins, chlorophylls, carotenoids and phenolics, and showed high antioxidant activity and low concentrations of nitrates and raffinose-family oligosaccharides. Cluster analysis based on quality, dietary or antinutritional traits did not reveal any apparent grouping among the accessions. All the quality characteristics were independent of accession origin and subspecies., Conclusion: Most of the accessions produced fresh pods of good quality and high dietary value, suitable for introduction in the market and/or for use as valuable genetic material for the development of new improved varieties. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Zombi pea (Vigna vexillata (L.) A. Rich) is an underutilized legume species and a useful gene source for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, although there is little understanding on its genetic diversity and structure. In this study, 422 (408 wild and 14 cultivated) accessions of zombi pea from diverse origins (201 from Africa, 126 from America, 85 from Australia, 5 from Asia and 5 from unknown origin) were analyzed with 20 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to determine its genetic diversity and genetic structure. The SSR markers detected 273 alleles in total with a mean of 13.6 alleles per locus. Polymorphism information content values of the markers varied from 0.58 to 0.90 with an average of 0.76. Overall gene diversity was 0.715. Gene diversity and average allelic richness was highest in Africa (0.749 and 8.08, respectively) and lowest in America (0.435 and 4.10, respectively). Nei's genetic distance analysis revealed that the highest distance was between wild Australia and cultivated Africa (0.559), followed by wild West Africa and wild Australia (0.415). STRUCTURE, neighbor-joining (NJ), and principal coordinate analyses consistently showed that these zombi pea accessions were clustered into three major groups, viz. America, Africa and Asia, and Australia. NJ tree also suggested that American and Australian accessions are originated from East African zombi peas, and that the cultivated accessions from Africa and Asia were genetically distinct, while those from America were clustered with some cultivated accessions from Africa. These results suggest that Africa is the center of origin and diversity of zombi pea, and that domestication of this pea took place more than once in different regions.