Cowpeas are one of the most important food legume crops in the semi-arid tropics covering Asia, Africa, southern Europe and Central and South America. Cowpea is an important grain legume throughout the tropics and subtropics, covering Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, as well as parts of southern Europe and the United States. Cowpea, a drought tolerant crop, has the unique ability to fix nitrogen even in very poor soils. It is also shade-tolerant and, therefore compatible as an intercrop with many cereals and root crops. Subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa usually intercrop their cowpea with maize, sorghum, millet, and cassava.
