Cowpea is a multipurpose food legume of the tropics and is a crucial source of nutrition for rural and tribal communities in Africa and Asia. High protein content, nitrogen-fixing ability, drought tolerance and adaptability to challenging environment make cowpea, a promising climate resilient food legume of 21st century. This crop is grown as sole or mix-crop and in agro-forestry combinations for diverse uses as pulse, vegetable and fodder. Although cowpea has been used by indigenous people for centuries, its full potential has never been realized. Its production did not increase over the years due to narrow genetic base, biotic and abiotic stresses and non-adaptation to changing climate. Ultimate solution lies in their genetic resources which are the reservoir of useful genes. Lack of information on germplasm characterization and evaluation restricts the effective use of germplasm stored in the genebanks. Introgression of genes from closely related Vigna species and application of modern molecular tools may facilitate broadening the genetic base of cowpea.

A range of cowpea ecotypes is grown mainly for their dual food value, and local affinity due to varied ecological conditions. However, due to changing land use patterns and the gradual introduction of high-yielding varieties/crops of commercial value, the indigenous germplasm of various crop species, including cowpea is slowly getting extinct. Since almost three decades, several collecting missions were carried out to collect germplasm of different crops grown in Oman either independently or jointly with national and international organizations.

Hereditary Genetics: Current Research is a peer reviewed scientific, open access journal known for rapid dissemination of high-quality research. It offers an open access platform to the authors in academia and industry to publish their novel research. The Journal serves the International Scientific Community with its standard research publications and includes a wide range of fields in its scientific domain to create a technical platform for the authors to present their scholarly work.

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