Cowpeas are an important leguminous food crop grown and eaten in East Africa, Asia, southern Europe, Central and South America. In the Teso and Lango districts of Uganda, the cowpea is one of the main grain legume crops. (Anon, 1969). The crop is locally known as Kunde (Swahili, Kipsigis), mathoroko (Kikuyu), likhuvi (Luhya), alot-bo (Luo), nthooko (Kamba), egesare (Kisii), Kiyindiru (Luganda), field peas (United States), Alasande, (Canada), lobhia, Hindi, and Chowla, Gujarati.

Uses

Cowpeas leaves are eaten as a substitute for spinach. Among vegetarian foods, cowpeas have the highest percentage of protein, reports the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The seeds are dried and used as grains.

FCI gives priority to cowpeas because:

They are drought-tolerant and therefore well-suited for the drier regions of the tropics-Africa being one of them.

Cowpea plant is able to fix nitrogen to the soil through its root nodules and so, no fertilizers are required-Their cultivation can immensely cut down costs, while at the same time, enriching the soil.

Because they are shade tolerant, they are an important component of traditional intercropping systems-a major practice by African smallholders. It is mostly intercropped with maize, millet, sorghum, sugarcane, and cotton.

They are rain-fed, requiring no irrigation.

To control pests and diseases FCI has been urging and facilitating farmers to use resistant, disease-free seeds varieties, control weeds as well as practice crop rotation with non-legumes.