New Striga Resistant Cowpea Developed Manga – Bawku in Upper East Region

In recent times, farming is no longer rewarding as before. This is partly due to erratic rainfall pattern coupled with pest and diseases as well as continued reliance of unimproved varieties.

However, research scientists from the College of Agriculture assisted by the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology both at the University of Cape Coast, have come out with an improved variety of cowpea that can resist the parasitic weed known as striga gesnerioides or cowpea witch-weed.

At a demonstration seminar held at Manga in the Bawku Municipality of the Upper East Region, about 200 farmers drawn from the catchment area have been introduced to the newly improved variety to ensure high crop yield.

Striga gesnerioides is a parasitic weed that attacks cereal crops, retarding plant growth, resulting in stunted and withered plants.

 It was organized by the Savanna Agriculture Research Institute SARI, Center for Scientific and Industrial Research CSIR, and the University of Cape Coast with funding from the International Treaty on Plant and Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

The new striga resistant cowpea is jointly developed by the University of Cape Coast College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.

The seminar was to educate partcipants on the 50 days early maturing cowpea variety that has been found to be doing well under maize intercrop and seed multiplication of the newly release two cowpea varieties, namely “Kirk- Benga” and Warn-Kai which are adapted and said to be doing well across the country.

The two were among other hundred cowpea varieties on rows.  In an interview with Radio Ghana, an entomologist of the Manga Agriculture station, Dr. Francis Kusi indicated that SARI and UCC have been evaluating the variety in those areas including the lower parts of Lawra in the Upper West, Mamprusi in the Northern Region and the whole of Upper East Region which are striga endemic areas for the past three years. 

Dr. Kusi stressed that the variety is stable, high yielding and doing well as compared to the local variety. He added, regarding cowpea intercrop they have developed well over three hundred lines with different traits of resistance to different varieties.

The farmers were therefore invited to help in varietal selection to narrow down to the most promising variety that meet the farmers requirement in terms of seed color, size and yield.

 Dr. Kusi further emphasized that SARI main concern was seed multiplication in the event that government add cowpea to its policy of planting for food and Jobs campaign, they will be in the position to supply.