Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is an indigenous and staple crop in sub-Saharan Africa, but it has an enemy: an insect called the legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata). This pest can cause yield losses of more than 80%. The pod borer, originally from south-east Asia, attacks the flowers, pods and seeds.
Conventional cowpea varieties lack resistance to the insect. Insecticide is the primary control measure, adding costs and environmental and health risks.
We are researchers at different research institutions with expertise in plant biotechnology. We have worked together for nearly 20 years in Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Australia and the United States to develop a cowpea that is resistant to pod borer. The result is a genetically modified (GM) cowpea variety, known as Songotra-T.
