Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is an important tropical leguminous because it provides food for millions of small scale farmers living in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. It dried seeds, green pods, and leaves are consumed as human food, whereas the dried haulm is used for livestock feed. Cowpea is also well known in Sub-Saharan Africa for its outstanding ability to survive under water stress condition and as a result, it plays an important role in regions where drought is by far the most threatening factor limiting crop yield. Recent research carried out by Sharon Durham shows that cowpea plants also have the ability for not only indirectly perceive pathogen attacks but can protect themselves against these microbes by developing a defense mechanism in response to the attacks. For example in the case of attack from Armyworms, (a group of related caterpillars that defoliate crop plants), the digestive protein fragments produced by these worms is perceive by the cowpea plant as an insect attack and begin a series of biochemical response by the production of ethylene and a series of other defense-related phytohormones triggers by inceptin (a small peptide) from the armyworm. The understanding of this mechanism can help Scientists in their guest of finding a way to intensify the defense response of plants, thus boosting plant ability to self protection.
Nkouannessi Magloire
Nkouannessi Magloire
