Nutritional content of cowpea bean lines (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) selected from a creole population

The objective of the study was to identify cowpea lines with protein and minerals high content, from one native population. Cowpea bean is an important nutritional alternative in the Colombian Caribbean. Thirty nine cowpea lines and five controls, including the parental population, under completely randomized design with five replications were evaluated. The analysis of variance revealed genetic variability between genotypes, suggesting the possibility of obtaining cultivars with nutritional benefits for consumers. The lines L-047, L-042, L-026, L-029, L-019 and L-002, whose protein content exceeded the parental Criollo-Córdoba between 6.28% and 8.42%, were identified. These promising lines could be used in the short term, as varieties or as a source of genes in breeding programs oriented to biofortification of cultivars of the same species.