Legume Science最新文献

{"title":"The Putative Effector Protein AlPE1 From Ascochyta lentis Causes Necrosis in Lentil and Pea","authors":"Robert C. Lee,&nbsp;Bernadette M. Henares,&nbsp;Johannes W. Debler,&nbsp;Robert A. Syme,&nbsp;Lars G. Kamphuis","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70135","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Ascochyta blight of lentil is caused by the hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen species <i>Ascochyta lentis</i>. Recent advances in whole genome sequencing have led to the availability of many fungal genome assemblies, enabling comparison of isolates that can lead to the identification of virulence genes or effectors. Here, we compare genome assemblies for the reference <i>A. lentis</i> isolate Al4 and the isolate <i>Al</i>Kewell and identify a single gene named <i>AlPE1</i> (<i>A. lentis</i> putative effector 1) that is present in Al4 but absent from <i>Al</i>Kewell. In Al4, <i>AlPE1</i> is located in the middle of a 175-kbp AT-rich region and encodes a secreted protein with a mature protein molecular weight of 5.5 kDa. The polypeptide has eight cysteine residues and is predicted to be an apoplastic effector by EffectorP. Homologues of <i>AlPE1</i> are found in other plant pathogenic fungi including <i>Parastagonospora</i>, <i>Bipolaris</i> and the closely related <i>Ascochyta</i> species that affect legumes. <i>AlPE1</i> is expressed <i>in planta</i> with levels increasing at the mid-infection stage in three lentil cultivars, where disease progression transitions to necrotrophy. We used agroinfiltration to test the function of transiently expressed AlPE1 protein in lentil and pea leaves, and after 5 days, weak necrosis was detected in both species. AlPE1 is proposed as a necrosis-inducing effector that may contribute to ascochyta blight in lentil.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70135","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148466734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Mesorhizobium Inoculation on Yield and Yield-Related Traits of Chickpea in Ethiopia: A Meta-Analysis","authors":"Yenus Ousman Kemal,&nbsp;Assefa Sintayehu","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Mesorhizobium</i> inoculation is a cost-effective nitrogen source for sustainable chickpea production. This meta-analysis aimed to (1) estimate the impacts of <i>mesorhizobium</i> inoculation on chickpea grain yield and associated parameters in Ethiopian conditions and (2) quantify how various moderators influence this response. Following strict eligibility criteria, 22 publications were selected. Analysis was performed in R using the <i>metafor</i> package. The log response ratio (lnRR) was used as the effect size and back-transformed to percentage change for interpretation. This study provides the first quantitative synthesis confirming the positive effect of <i>mesorhizobium</i> inoculation under Ethiopian smallholder conditions. Inoculation significantly increased grain yield by 12% and both biomass yield and pod number by approximately 10%. However, effects on hundred-seed weight and harvest index were nonsignificant. Yield improvements were greater in Kabuli types than in Desi types. The yield response was highest in the Oromia region (14.8%), and under wet (20%), highland (20%), and temperate (13%) conditions. Regarding soil factors, the greatest yield increases were observed in moderately acidic soils (19%), and in soils with very low total nitrogen (15%). Furthermore, yield increments due to inoculation were positively correlated with increasing soil phosphorus content. While the amount of improvement varies with genotype, strain, and environment, <i>mesorhizobium</i> inoculation consistently enhances chickpea productivity. These findings support the promotion of inoculation for sustainable chickpea production across diverse Ethiopian agro-ecologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70132","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148324637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Mesorhizobium Inoculation on Yield and Yield-Related Traits of Chickpea in Ethiopia: A Meta-Analysis","authors":"Yenus Ousman Kemal,&nbsp;Assefa Sintayehu","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Mesorhizobium</i> inoculation is a cost-effective nitrogen source for sustainable chickpea production. This meta-analysis aimed to (1) estimate the impacts of <i>mesorhizobium</i> inoculation on chickpea grain yield and associated parameters in Ethiopian conditions and (2) quantify how various moderators influence this response. Following strict eligibility criteria, 22 publications were selected. Analysis was performed in R using the <i>metafor</i> package. The log response ratio (lnRR) was used as the effect size and back-transformed to percentage change for interpretation. This study provides the first quantitative synthesis confirming the positive effect of <i>mesorhizobium</i> inoculation under Ethiopian smallholder conditions. Inoculation significantly increased grain yield by 12% and both biomass yield and pod number by approximately 10%. However, effects on hundred-seed weight and harvest index were nonsignificant. Yield improvements were greater in Kabuli types than in Desi types. The yield response was highest in the Oromia region (14.8%), and under wet (20%), highland (20%), and temperate (13%) conditions. Regarding soil factors, the greatest yield increases were observed in moderately acidic soils (19%), and in soils with very low total nitrogen (15%). Furthermore, yield increments due to inoculation were positively correlated with increasing soil phosphorus content. While the amount of improvement varies with genotype, strain, and environment, <i>mesorhizobium</i> inoculation consistently enhances chickpea productivity. These findings support the promotion of inoculation for sustainable chickpea production across diverse Ethiopian agro-ecologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70132","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148324356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phenotypic Diversity and Nutritional Profiling of a Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.) Germplasm Collection for Functional Food Breeding","authors":"Rong Cao,&nbsp;Qiannan Song,&nbsp;Liangliang Hu,&nbsp;Tianxiao Chen,&nbsp;Suhua Wang,&nbsp;Lixia Wang,&nbsp;Yang Yao,&nbsp;Xuzhen Cheng,&nbsp;Jindong Fu,&nbsp;Xinbo Guo,&nbsp;Honglin Chen","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70114","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Mung bean (<i>Vigna radiata</i> L.) is a nutritionally valuable legume; however, the lack of a comprehensive evaluation of quality traits across diverse germplasm hinders targeted breeding efforts. To identify superior genetic resources, this study assessed key nutritional quality traits, including crude protein, starch, fat, total polyphenols, total flavonoids, caffeic acid, vitexin, and isovitexin, across 370 diverse mung bean accessions. Phenotypic data were evaluated utilizing correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. Significant phenotypic variation was observed, with coefficients of variation ranging from 5.05% to 37.41% and Shannon's diversity indices between 0.10 and 0.59. Key correlations revealed a negative relationship between protein and starch, alongside strong positive associations among total polyphenols, flavonoids, caffeic acid, vitexin, and isovitexin. Furthermore, cluster analysis stratified the germplasm into five distinct groups exhibiting significant differences in quality traits. A comprehensive evaluation successfully identified elite accessions characterized by high overall nutritional profiles. These findings provide a strategic roadmap for targeted mung bean improvement, offering pre-selected elite germplasm and clear trait–association insights to accelerate the development of nutritionally superior and functionally specialized cultivars.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70114","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148237977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phenotypic Diversity and Nutritional Profiling of a Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.) Germplasm Collection for Functional Food Breeding","authors":"Rong Cao,&nbsp;Qiannan Song,&nbsp;Liangliang Hu,&nbsp;Tianxiao Chen,&nbsp;Suhua Wang,&nbsp;Lixia Wang,&nbsp;Yang Yao,&nbsp;Xuzhen Cheng,&nbsp;Jindong Fu,&nbsp;Xinbo Guo,&nbsp;Honglin Chen","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70114","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Mung bean (<i>Vigna radiata</i> L.) is a nutritionally valuable legume; however, the lack of a comprehensive evaluation of quality traits across diverse germplasm hinders targeted breeding efforts. To identify superior genetic resources, this study assessed key nutritional quality traits, including crude protein, starch, fat, total polyphenols, total flavonoids, caffeic acid, vitexin, and isovitexin, across 370 diverse mung bean accessions. Phenotypic data were evaluated utilizing correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. Significant phenotypic variation was observed, with coefficients of variation ranging from 5.05% to 37.41% and Shannon's diversity indices between 0.10 and 0.59. Key correlations revealed a negative relationship between protein and starch, alongside strong positive associations among total polyphenols, flavonoids, caffeic acid, vitexin, and isovitexin. Furthermore, cluster analysis stratified the germplasm into five distinct groups exhibiting significant differences in quality traits. A comprehensive evaluation successfully identified elite accessions characterized by high overall nutritional profiles. These findings provide a strategic roadmap for targeted mung bean improvement, offering pre-selected elite germplasm and clear trait–association insights to accelerate the development of nutritionally superior and functionally specialized cultivars.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70114","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148237809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphological, Culinary, and Nutritional Diversity of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Accessions in the Northern Andean Region of Peru","authors":"Wagner Meza-Maicelo,&nbsp;Victor-Hugo Baldera-Chapoñan,&nbsp;Henry W. Santillan-Culquimboz,&nbsp;Manuel Oliva-Cruz,&nbsp;Flavio Lozano-Isla","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70101","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70101","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Common bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) grains represent a major source of plant-based protein and essential micronutrients; however, their consumption is constrained by prolonged cooking times and variable nutritional profiles. This study characterized the morphological, culinary, and nutritional diversity of 36 common bean accessions collected from the northern Andean region of Peru to identify accessions combining rapid cooking ability with high nutritional quality. After 3 months of postharvest storage, six qualitative and three quantitative seed traits were evaluated. Phenotypic diversity was quantified using Nei's (He) and Shannon–Weaver's (H′) indices. Hydration capacity (HC), cooking time (CT), and seed concentrations of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and protein (Prot) were analyzed in a completely randomized design with three replications. Quantitative data were subjected to descriptive statistics, principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis, and Pearson correlation. Substantial intra- and inter-accession morphological variability was detected (He = 0.64; H′ = 1.48). A strong negative correlation was observed between HC and CT (<i>r</i> = −0.92), whereas Fe and Zn concentrations showed a moderate positive correlation (<i>r</i> = 0.78). The fastest-cooking accessions were UNTRM3351017 (5.33 min), UNTRM3351009 (5.67 min), and UNTRM3351001 (6.33 min). The highest Prot levels were recorded in UNTRM3351017 (26.60%), UNTRM3351013 (25.10%), and UNTRM3351001 (24.77%). For mineral concentration, UNTRM3351029 (Fe: 176.58 ppm; Zn: 52.07 ppm) and UNTRM111034 (Fe: 152.39 ppm; Zn: 44.42 ppm) exhibited the highest concentrations. These results demonstrate useful phenotypic variability within Andean germplasm and identify promising accessions under the evaluated conditions; however, further studies are required to confirm their stability and potential in breeding programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70101","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148237717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphological, Culinary, and Nutritional Diversity of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Accessions in the Northern Andean Region of Peru","authors":"Wagner Meza-Maicelo,&nbsp;Victor-Hugo Baldera-Chapoñan,&nbsp;Henry W. Santillan-Culquimboz,&nbsp;Manuel Oliva-Cruz,&nbsp;Flavio Lozano-Isla","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70101","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70101","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Common bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) grains represent a major source of plant-based protein and essential micronutrients; however, their consumption is constrained by prolonged cooking times and variable nutritional profiles. This study characterized the morphological, culinary, and nutritional diversity of 36 common bean accessions collected from the northern Andean region of Peru to identify accessions combining rapid cooking ability with high nutritional quality. After 3 months of postharvest storage, six qualitative and three quantitative seed traits were evaluated. Phenotypic diversity was quantified using Nei's (He) and Shannon–Weaver's (H′) indices. Hydration capacity (HC), cooking time (CT), and seed concentrations of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and protein (Prot) were analyzed in a completely randomized design with three replications. Quantitative data were subjected to descriptive statistics, principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis, and Pearson correlation. Substantial intra- and inter-accession morphological variability was detected (He = 0.64; H′ = 1.48). A strong negative correlation was observed between HC and CT (<i>r</i> = −0.92), whereas Fe and Zn concentrations showed a moderate positive correlation (<i>r</i> = 0.78). The fastest-cooking accessions were UNTRM3351017 (5.33 min), UNTRM3351009 (5.67 min), and UNTRM3351001 (6.33 min). The highest Prot levels were recorded in UNTRM3351017 (26.60%), UNTRM3351013 (25.10%), and UNTRM3351001 (24.77%). For mineral concentration, UNTRM3351029 (Fe: 176.58 ppm; Zn: 52.07 ppm) and UNTRM111034 (Fe: 152.39 ppm; Zn: 44.42 ppm) exhibited the highest concentrations. These results demonstrate useful phenotypic variability within Andean germplasm and identify promising accessions under the evaluated conditions; however, further studies are required to confirm their stability and potential in breeding programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70101","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148237914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Progress and Challenges in Faba Bean Genetic Engineering","authors":"Simone A. Gierlich,&nbsp;Thilani B. Jayakody,&nbsp;Sruthy Maria Augustine,&nbsp;Huijun Liu,&nbsp;Marko Jääskeläinen,&nbsp;Triin Vaisalu,&nbsp;Rod. J. Snowdon,&nbsp;Stig U. Andersen","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70123","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Legumes are essential for global food security, serving as a vital source of plant-based protein and playing a significant role in sustainable agricultural practices. Among legumes, faba bean (<i>Vicia faba</i> L.) is noteworthy due to its high-protein content, broad climate adaptation, and suitability for cultivation in temperate regions. Recent advances in genetic engineering, especially CRISPR/Cas9 technology, have opened new avenues for enhancing nutritional and agronomic traits of legume crops. We provide an overview of gene editing in legumes, with a particular focus on the achievements in genetic transformation and gene editing of faba bean to date. Finally, we highlight new approaches that may hold potential for faba bean applications. Despite recent progress, most notably the availability of reference genome sequences, significant challenges with transformation recalcitrance and genotype dependence remain.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70123","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148324257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Progress and Challenges in Faba Bean Genetic Engineering","authors":"Simone A. Gierlich,&nbsp;Thilani B. Jayakody,&nbsp;Sruthy Maria Augustine,&nbsp;Huijun Liu,&nbsp;Marko Jääskeläinen,&nbsp;Triin Vaisalu,&nbsp;Rod. J. Snowdon,&nbsp;Stig U. Andersen","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70123","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Legumes are essential for global food security, serving as a vital source of plant-based protein and playing a significant role in sustainable agricultural practices. Among legumes, faba bean (<i>Vicia faba</i> L.) is noteworthy due to its high-protein content, broad climate adaptation, and suitability for cultivation in temperate regions. Recent advances in genetic engineering, especially CRISPR/Cas9 technology, have opened new avenues for enhancing nutritional and agronomic traits of legume crops. We provide an overview of gene editing in legumes, with a particular focus on the achievements in genetic transformation and gene editing of faba bean to date. Finally, we highlight new approaches that may hold potential for faba bean applications. Despite recent progress, most notably the availability of reference genome sequences, significant challenges with transformation recalcitrance and genotype dependence remain.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70123","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148324258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Compost Application on Growth, Gas Exchange, and Green Yield of Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] Varieties","authors":"Mekete Fentaw,&nbsp;Tewodros Ayalew","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70128","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70128","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cowpea is an important dual-purpose legume cultivated for its leaves, fresh pods, and grains, yet productivity in Ethiopia remains low due to poor-yielding varieties and nutrient-deficient soils. This study evaluated the effects of compost application on growth, physiological performance, and yield of two cowpea varieties (Bole and Kenkety) under the environmental conditions of Hawassa University, southern Ethiopia, during the main rainy season. Four compost rates (0, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 t ha⁻¹) were tested in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Compost application significantly (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05–0.001) increased plant height, leaf number, leaf area, leaf dry weight, photosynthesistranspiration, pod number, pod diameter, and green pod yield. Varietal effects were significant (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) for plant height, leaf number, leaf dry weight, photosynthesis, transpiration, pod number, and pod diameter. The interaction effect (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) was observed for shoot biomass, primary branch number, leaf fresh weight, and pod length. Maximum plant height (54.51 cm), leaf area (5005.60 cm²), and photosynthesis rate (23.78 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) were achieved with 7.5 t ha⁻¹ compost. The combination of the Bole variety with 7.5 t ha⁻¹ compost produced the highest biomass and pod length. These results indicate that applying 7.5 t ha⁻¹ compost to the Bole variety is effective for improving cowpea growth, physiological performance, and yield in the study area. However, as the study was conducted at a single location and season, multi-location and multi-year trials are required to validate these findings. The results highlight the potential of compost as an eco-friendly fertilizer to enhance cowpea productivity and contribute to food security.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70128","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148174766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}