Zombi bean resurrected?

Vigna vexillata is a close relative of the cowpea (V. unguiculata) that (sometimes) rejoices in the common name Zombi Bean. (It is also called the tuber cowpea.) It’s hard to tell whether this is a “famine food” harvested from the wild, a plant being domesticated and on its way to becoming a crop, or a full-fledged crop species. Either way, scientists in Australia have been doing their darndest to understand how it can best be improved. The result, so far, is three back-to-back papers in Crop & Pasture Science.

  • Genotypic variation in domesticated and wild accessions of the tropical tuberous legume Vigna vexillata (L.) A. Rich. doi:10.1071/CP10029
  • Genetic compatibility among domesticated and wild accessions of the tropical tuberous legume Vigna vexillata (L.) A. Rich. doi:10.1071/CP10060
  • Expression of qualitative and quantitative traits in hybrids between domesticated and wild accessions of the tropical tuberous legume Vigna vexillata (L.) A. Rich. doi:10.1071/CP10084

But not, yet, any improved varieties.

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