Organoleptic and chemical evaluation of italian cowpea (vigna unguiculata subsp unguiculata cv gr. unguiculata (l.) walp.) landraces from a restricted area

Four landraces of cowpea were evaluated for qualitative characters and compared to a commercial cultivar used as a control. A panel of judges evaluated visual appearance, first impression in the mouth, taste, tenderness of the skin and overall judgment; chemical composition was also determined. There were significant differences among the varieties for all organoleptic characters (except for skin tenderness) and for crude protein content and total carbohydrate percentages on dry matter. The investigation confirms the impressive role of farmers' selection in accumulating important variation in crops which could form the basis for requesting quality marks, a tool for promoting in situ (on farm) conservation of landraces.