Background: Sesamum indicum is an ancient oilseed crop that remains relatively underutilized in research, development, and commercialization, despite its wide agronomic adaptability, high nutritional value, and increasing global demand. In Africa, sesame has become a strategic cash crop, contributing more than half of global production; however, productivity remains low due to persistent constraints that reduce yield stability and limit the sector's full economic potential. Methods: This review synthesizes evidence on the African sesame sector by integrating a systematized narrative review with a descriptive analysis of production trends derived from FAOSTAT and Statista datasets. Following a PRISMA-inspired mixed-methods approach, literature published between 2000 and 2025 was assessed to examine long-term trends in production, harvested area, and yield, alongside advances in agronomy, breeding and genetic improvement, shattering resistance, post-harvest management, market organization, and policy environments. Results: Results indicate that recent growth in African sesame production has been driven primarily by area expansion rather than yield improvement, underscoring persistent productivity gaps. Advances in conventional and genomics-assisted breeding, climate-smart agronomy, and participatory approaches show strong potential to enhance yields and resilience, but adoption remains limited. Structural constraints across seed systems, post-harvest handling, processing, and market governance continue to restrict value addition and farmer incomes. By integrating these dimensions within a systems-level analytical framework, this review goes beyond existing fragmented studies and proposes an integrated pathway for sustainable sesame industry development in Africa. Conclusions: The findings provide actionable insights for researchers, policy makers, and development practitioners seeking to unlock the full potential of the African sesame sector under increasing climate and market uncertainties.

Soybean is a highly nutritious and versatile food that is of great importance in world trade. It is a cash crop for farmers in Benin, grown almost everywhere. However, soybean production faces several challenges, including low yields and disruptions due to weather conditions. Improving soybean production could enhance food security for the population and increase farmers’ incomes. A study was conducted to assess the genetic and agromorphological variability of 30 soybean accessions. The study was carried out in a three-repeat alpha lattice design at two different sites in the South of Benin (E1) and North (E2). Qualitative and quantitative traits were collected during the experiments. The qualitative characteristics showed great variability, except for cotyledon color and the presence of pubescence and petiole. The results also showed that Accessions TGm-1199, TGX 1910-14, and TGm-1588 had the best yields in E1, whereas TGX 1951-3F, TGX 1910-14F, and TGm-1253 were found with the highest yields in E2. The phenotypic coefficient of variation was higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation for all traits, and heritability in the broad sense ranged from 20% to 100%. The genetic parameters showed that selection programs can be effective for days to flowering, plant height, hundred-seed weight, seed thickness, seed length and width, days to harvest, pod length and width, and grain yield. The high genetic variability observed within soybean accessions indicates that genotypes could be selected and used as a crop improvement tool.

Background: Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses that impairs plant growth and development. It is responsible for huge crop yield losses worldwide posing a threat to world food security. The aim of the present investigation is to explore the potential of genetic crosses between a wildtype salt-tolerant tomato and salt-sensitive genotype to develop commercially desirable salinitytolerant tomato cultivars. Methods: A cross between a salt-sensitive tomato cultivar (CA4-S) and a salt-tolerant wild-type tomato species (LA1606-T) was generated and the resulting F1 plants were selfed to obtain the F2 seeds. Tomato seedlings obtained from 120 F2 lines were randomly selected and cultivated in a greenhouse under RCBD. To evaluate the salinity response of segregating progenies, seedlings were irrigated each day with 185 mM NaCl for 82 days and various agronomical traits including leaf chlorophyll content, plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, days to maturity, flower number, fruit number, fruit weight, fruit length, fruit width, fruit set percentage, and total fruit yield were quantified. Main findings: Results presented herein show that all traits examined exhibited diverse ranges of variations, and continuous distribution, typical of quantitative traits among F2 progenies. The skewness value of total yield (TY) (0.04) and days to maturity (0.09) were very close to 0, signifying that TY and days to maturity tend to follow a normal distribution. The total fruit yield per plant was positively correlated with total fruit number, number of fruits per cluster, fruit set percentage, number of flowers per cluster, fruit weight, fruit number, and chlorophyll content, but negatively correlated with plant height. Conclusion: A salt tolerance index (STI) was developed based on these measurements, and was used to select the most tolerant and sensitive progenies from the F2 generation. These selected progenies could be selfed and advanced to obtain salt-tolerant cultivars of tomato genotypes, thus helping to address genetic bases of salt tolerance and the prevailing food insecurity in the world.

Drought is a major constraint that limits onion productivity. This current study explored the physio-biochemical, morphological, and yield attributes of 14 onion genotypes during the bulb development stage under drought conditions. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replications and two treatments. Drought stress was applied for a duration of 30 days. Drought reduced all morpho-physiological parameters of onion genotypes compared to the control. Drought significantly increased (p < 0.001) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels in onion plants. The genotypes Goudami and Prema showed higher levels of catalase and ascorbate peroxidase. Additionally, Prema and Goudami exhibited the highest proline content, while Red_Creole had the lowest. Yields were significantly reduced (p < 0.001), resulting in a 49.58% loss compared to the control. The yield of onion genotypes was strongly positively associated with several factors, including stress tolerance index, bulb diameter, proline, drought tolerance efficiency, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, relative water content, total chlorophyll, and stomata number. Prema, Goudami, and Red_Jewel recorded higher stress tolerance index, antioxidant activity, proline, chlorophyll, drought tolerance efficiency, stomatal aperture, and better yield; therefore, they were categorized as tolerant. The local variety, Rouge_Tama ARES, IDOL, AVON1317, AVON1074, Synthetique, Violet_Galmi, Dayo, and SAFARI were considered intermediate, displaying lower chlorophyll, stress tolerance index, potential activity of PS II, and proline. In contrast, Red_Creole was identified as a sensitive genotype, showing low morphological traits, drought tolerance efficiency, and a high percentage of yield reduction. Drought-tolerant onion genotypes identified could be essential for farmers and future improvement programs in drought-prone regions. This study emphasizes the significance of these tolerant onions for effectively responding to drought while maintaining bulb quality and productivity.

Onion productivity is sensitive to dry conditions. Breeding tolerant onion genotypes could improve productivity in regions vulnerable to water deficit stress. In this study, morphophysiological and yield parameters were used to evaluate the effects of drought on 14 genotypes at different growth stages. Three replications and two treatments-control and drought-were used in the split-plot design experiment, which was carried out in a greenhouse. For 10, 25, and 25 days during growth, bulb initiation, and bulb development, respectively, drought was applied. The findings showed that onions' susceptibility to drought depends on the growth stage and stress level. Morphological and physiological parameters decreased dramatically as plant developmental stages varied and the stress duration increased. After 25 days of stress during bulb development, all parameters demonstrated a significant decrease (p < 0.001). Onions' proline content did, however, rise as a result of the drought. The study found that drought during bulb development considerably decreased yield by 33.85% (p < 0.001). Responses to drought stress varied among the various onion genotypes. Goudami, Prema, and Red_Jewel F1 were drought-tolerant, while Red_Creole, AVON_1074, and Safari were sensitive, and Local, AVON_1317, and Dayo displayed intermediate tolerance. The tolerant genotypes may be useful for improving regions vulnerable to drought.

Sesame is of global economic, nutritional, and health importance. However, capsule dehiscence remains a major constraint in sesame production, causing significant yield losses. Thus, the objectives of this study were to (1) determine the agromorphological and genetic variability of 160 sesame genotypes based on the grain yield and traits related to capsule dehiscence and (2) identify promising parental lines for developing non semi‐dehiscent genotypes. The experiment was conducted at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in the Benin Republic, using an alpha‐lattice 32 × 5 design with three replications. Data were collected on 25 traits, including 19 quantitative and six qualitative traits contributing to dehiscence and yield performance. The phenological and agromorphological traits, yield, and yield components of sesame cultivars were evaluated, along with genetic parameters and clusters of different groups based on their dehiscence tolerance level. Capsule dehiscence was evaluated using the sun‐drying and oven‐drying methods at 60°C for 6 hours. The capsule split (ECS, %) and capsule open (ECO, %) were calculated to quantify dehiscence. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. After classification, three clusters were identified. The first group with less resistance to shattering had shorter sizes, lower yields, fewer capsules, and smaller capsular zones. However, they had better earliness. The highly resistant individuals with a low dehiscence rate exhibited a high plant height, capsule number, and capsule length. The intermediate group with normal dehiscence rates had moderate values for all attributes. Traits such as capsule split, capsule open, number of capsules per plant, and potential yield per genotype exhibited high genetic variability. ECS and ECO recorded the highest coefficients of genotypic and phenotypic variation. The results of this study provide valuable information for the development of indehiscent and semi‐dehiscent sesame genotypes with good seed retention capacity at maturity, minimizing losses due to capsule dehiscence and ultimately benefiting sesame producers and the oilseed industry.

Soybean is an important leguminous crop that is mostly produced in the world due to its high protein content. However, soybean production in Benin has been hampered by low yields of around 1 ton per hectare, which is caused by many factors, including abiotic and biotic issues. The objective of this research was to evaluate the response of 28 soybean genotypes under four environments, in order to identify the best genotypes. The study was conducted at two sites in Benin: IITA-Benin (South) and Pénéssoulou in Bassila district (North) in 2 years. An alpha lattice design with 3 replications was used, and 17 quantitative variables were collected at both sites. Analysis of variance showed a highly significant difference (p < 0.001) in all variables at the level of genotype-environment interaction. The genotypes G2, G27, G18, G28, G22, and G17 are the most stable in terms of yield, and the closest to the ideal genotypes. In Environments 1 and 3, the accessions demonstrated higher yields, with G2 recording the highest yield (over 4t/ha), compared to Environments 2 and 4. We advocate for the utilization of the above high-yielding genotypes by producers, as well as for their incorporation as breeding materials to enhance soybean improvement.

Sesame production is important in agriculture, food industry, and the crop diversity due to its rich nutritional profile and health benefits. Despite its significant value, sesame is still an orphan crop that has received little scientific attention, resulting in low yield compared to other major oilseed crops. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the present state of production, knowledge, and research advancements concerning Sesamum indicum on a global scale. The FAOSTAT database was extensively used to examine the global trends from 1961 to 2021. In the past 60 years, global sesame production has substantially increased, with Asia and Africa being the primary producers. The integration of omics technologies and biotechnological interventions has revolutionized our understanding of the genetic basis of sesame, enhanced productivity, invigorated stress resilience, and improved seed quality. High-throughput sequencing methods such as RNA-seq, RAD-seq, SLAF-seq, and GBS technology are used in various studies, linkage mapping, and identification of trait-associated markers. Fine linkage maps, and multi-omics studies such as genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics have been employed in sesame research for gene and QTL mapping. Proteins and metabolic pathways related to oil content, yield, and stress tolerance were reported. Genes and QTLs related to yield and its components, drought, salt, and osmotic stress tolerance were discovered. Candidate genes associated with capsule shattering and seed shattering were recently revealed. For more achievement in sesame, it is important to enhance sesame production efficiency through mechanization, advanced agricultural practices, and knowledge dissemination to farmers. MAS and multi-omics integration should be particularly reinforced. The advancements in sesame production present a significant and promising opportunity for farmers, governments, and stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is one of Benin's most cultivated and consumed grain legumes. However, drought remains one of the main causes of its decline in yield. The aim of this work was to identify superior cowpea genotypes tolerant to water deficit. Twenty-six (N = 26) genotypes (varieties and hybrids) were subjected to two water regime conditions (well-watered and stressed) in a greenhouse at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Benin) during the 2021 dry season. The experiment was laid out in a split plot with 3 replicates. The results showed that proline content, chlorophyll content, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, hundred-seed weight and seed yield were all significantly (P < 0.001) reduced under the effect of water deficit. However, the genotypes KVX396-18, Kpodjiguegue x KVX 396-18, IT97K-206-1-1, IT99K573-1-1, IT07K-211-1-8 x IT97K-206-1-1, and F2_Kpodjigu & egrave;gu & egrave; x Tawa provided the highest values under water deficit compared to unstressed plants which served as controls. These genotypes were the best water deficit tolerant and high-yielding genotypes. Low values were recorded for F2_ genotypes KVX61-1 x Tawa, IT07K-211-1-8 x Tawa, KVX61-1, IT07K-211-1-8 x IT99K-573-1-1, F2_IT07K-211-1-8 x IT99K-573-1-1, F2_IT06K242-3 x IT97K-206-1-1, KVX61-1 x Tawa, which are considered in this case as drought-sensitive and low-yielding genotypes. A correlation between plant height, leaf width, pod maturity days, pod length, number of pods per plant, and hundred seed weight and yield were observed. Number of pods per plant (NPP), grain yield per plant (GYP), hundred seed weight (100WS), pod length (PL), number of days to pod maturity (NDPM), number of seeds per pod (NSP), and number of leaves per plant (NLP) can therefore be exploited in cowpea breeding programs to improve yield and drought tolerance in susceptible and low-yielding genotypes.

Onions (Allium cepa L.) are the second most commonly produced and consumed vegetable worldwide due to their economic, nutritional, and medicinal benefits. However, drought hinders vegetative growth, lowers yields and bulb quality, reduces photosynthetic activity, and alters the onion plant’s metabolism. This review provides a summary of global research on the impact of drought on onions. It specifically seeks to shed light on aspects that remain unclear and generate research avenues. Relevant scientific articles were sourced from the AGORA database, Web of Science (WoS), and search engines such as Google Scholar, Scopus, MEDLINE/PubMed, and SCImago to achieve this objective. A total of 117 scientific articles and documents related to onion and drought were critically examined. The review revealed agromorphological, physiological, biochemical, and genomic studies depicting factors that contribute to drought tolerance in onion genotypes. However, there was little research on the physiological, biochemical, and genetic characteristics of drought tolerance in onions, which need to be deepened to establish its adaptation mechanisms. Understanding the mechanisms of onion response to water stress will contribute to fast-tracking the development of drought-tolerant genotypes and optimize onion production. Future research should be more focused on investigating onion drought tolerance mechanisms and structural and functional genomics and identifying genes responsible for onion drought tolerance.

Combining ability is referred to as the hybridization value of the parental genotypes involved in the crossing to develop hybrids. The best parents are selected through combining ability methods and subsequently used to produce high yielding and resistant hybrids. Thus, the objectives of this study were to (i) understand the nature and action of genes controlling water deficit tolerance, and (ii) identify superior genotypes from the genetic breadth provided by hybridization in cowpea. Twenty-four genotypes were subjected to normal irrigation and water deficit condition to examine combining ability, genotypic and phenotypic correlations for traits directly related to water deficit (proline and chlorophylls), grain yield and yield components. The results showed the presence of the action of additive and non-additive genes under both water regime conditions. However, there was the predominance of the action of additive genes for most of the traits studied under both conditions. The parents KVX61-1, IT06K242-3, IT07K-211–1-8, Kpodjiguèguè, IT99K-573–1-1, Tawa and IT97K-206–1-1 were observed to be good general combiners for proline content, chlorophyll content and traits associated with yield, while KVX61-1 × KVX396-18, IT06K242-3 × KVX396-18, IT07K-211–1-1 × KVX396-18, Kpodjiguèguè x KVX396-18, KVX61 -1 × IT97K-206–1-1, IT06K242-3 × IT97K-206–1-1, IT07K-211–1-1 × IT97K-206–1-1 and Kpodjiguèguè x IT97K-206–1-1 were proven to be the best specific combiners for traits directly related to water deficit tolerance and yield. It should be noted that number of days to pod maturity, pod length, number of pods per plant and weight of hundred seeds were highly heritable traits in this study.

The black plum Vitex doniana is a wild tree widely distributed in Africa. It is consumed as a leafy vegetable by at least 22 ethnic groups in Benin and also used as a source of income. This research analyzed the value chain of this leafy vegetable in order to define strategies that create added value for maximum profits for stakeholders. For each segment of the value chain, we investigated the flow of goods and services, financial flows, opportunities, and bottlenecks. The results indicate that three groups of stakeholders, including collectors-processors, wholesalers, and retailers, were involved in the production and marketing of Vitex doniana leaves. The Vitex doniana investigated in this study came from Kpokissa, a village located in the southeast near Bohicon. Vitex doniana was parboiled before selling and generated reasonable income for stakeholders. Bottlenecks in this value chain included the low density of trees for high productivity, the use of traditional tools for leaf harvest, and poor yield performance of trees due to ageing. Moreover, Vitex doniana was not found in supermarkets and small restaurants, indicating that the species remains an underutilized leafy vegetable. The analysis of the Vitex doniana value chain revealed that some consumers adopted freeze preservation, which requires keeping the pre-cooked vegetable below 0 °C before further use. This method added value. These results provide a baseline for further investigations in improving the value chain of Vitex doniana .

Cucurbita moschata (Pumpkin) is a multipurpose species whose fruits and sometimes oil seeds are used for various purposes. It is low in calories and is a significant source of income. Despite the great potential of the pumpkin production and usage, there is no attention to establish the varieties grown in Benin for proper documentation. Therefore, the present study was carried out to (i) evaluate the agro-morphological variability of pumpkin accessions collected in Benin and (ii) investigate heritability, genetic gain, phenotypic and genotypic variances of the agronomic traits. Six landraces from one hundred and twenty accessions collected in Benin were sown and characterized. The agronomic experiment was laid out in a complete randomized block design with three replicates. Out of the twenty-seven quantitative descriptors measured, fifteen were found to be significant. The 50% emergence time (p = 0.03), the number of female flowers (p = 0.02), the seed width (p = 0.05) and the ratio seed width and length (p = 0.01) were significant. A highly significant difference was observed with the days to 50% flowering and the length of male flower stalks (p = 0.002), the average weight of one hundred seeds (p = 0.009). Fruit set at 50%, length of female flower peduncle, number of male flowers, mean fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, average number of seeds per fruit and seed length were very highly significant (p < 0.001). Fruit color and shape, seed color and leaf color showed phenotypic variability. A positive correlation (r = 0.76; p < 0.05) was observed between average fruit weight and average number of seeds per fruit. Principal component analysis and Hierarchical Ascending Classification revealed three classes. Estimates of the phenotypic coefficient of variation were higher than estimates of the genotypic coefficient of variation for most characters. High heritability was observed for fruit diameter (96.73%), average fruit weight (96.46%) and fruit length (94.64%). High heritability associated with high genetic advance was observed for these traits. In sum, the genetic diversity observed within the landraces of pumpkin shows that there is possibility for further selection.

Pumpkin has high nutritional value essential for food security. Despite many benefits, it still considered an orphan crop in Africa. Very little information is available on the potential and production of pumpkin in Africa due to neglect by researchers and improvement program. Classical research, both theoretical and empirical, was used to conduct a systematic review of the various result trends obtained by researchers in relation to the topic. Using Google Scholar, relevant literature was selected, analyzed and summarized. In Africa, the fruit, seeds and leaves of the pumpkin is consumed. This dietary diversity of pumpkin could contribute to the improvement of people's livelihoods. Countries such as Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia are making considerable profits from the export of pumpkin. However, its production is very low because its potential is not fully exploited. In this context, research and development strategies must be put in place so that pumpkin becomes part of the African diet. The diversity, origins and distribution, utilization patterns, relative importance, production and bottlenecks of pumpkin in Africa are reviewed. These results can be used as a basis for further research on yield improvement and pest management. Key words: Africa, bottlenecks, food security, orphan crops, pumpkin.

Seeds are the most important input in agricultural production and its quality seed determines the yield of the crop. They contribute to nearly 30% of crop productivity. The present study aims at surveying, collecting and characterizing maize accessions from the North, Centre and South Benin. Thirty-two (32) accessions were collected from 11 townships of Benin. Four experiments (Bassila, Glazoue, N'Dali and Adjohoun sites) were carried out to evaluate the agro-morphological characteristics of the collected 32 accessions. Eighteen (18) quantitative parameters were measured at each site. The accessions were classified into 3 groups by the hierarchical ascending classification showing a very important variability among cultivars with very highly significant (P < 0.001) or highly significant (P < 0.01) differences. The observed diversity among the different cultivars were based on plant height, growth life cycle, ear height, yield and yield components. The collection consisted of 18 intermediate-maturing cultivars showing big corn size with the ears inserted at a great height (Group 1), 8 late-maturing cultivars with the best vegetative and reproductive traits (Group 2) and 6 early-maturing cultivars with the best reproductive growth and best ear and grain yields (Group 3). The phenotypic variability of the cultivars was more related to their agronomic and morphological traits than their origin. These diverse groups of accessions could be used to develop improved maize varieties with high yield potential and adapted to different agro-climatic conditions.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important crop cultivated for its grains, which demand is constantly increasing in Africa. In Benin, sesame is produced on a small area despite its high economic potential. The overall objective of this study was to reinforce local knowledge (cultural methods) related to the management of different Sesamum indicum cultivars in Benin's Agro-ecological Zone IV. A total of 273 producers were surveyed using the non-probabilistic snowball method supported by systematic census. The typological analysis consisted of a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) and a Hierarchical Ascending Classification (HAC) using RGui.4.1.0 software. The result of the MCA revealed four types of sesame production systems based on several variables. The characterization of the producers of each production system according to the townships showed that there was a dependency relationship between the production systems and the townships. 100% of producers in the township of Cobly used the traditional production system (Type IV). 94.7% of producers in Matéri township practiced the modern production system (Type I). The different cultural methods for sesame production varied from one ethnic group to another. The Wama and Mossi ethnic groups practiced the modern semi-intensive production method (Type II). The conservative production system (Type III) was specific to the Ditamari. 61.8% Farmers planted sesame in August and 56.1% farmers harvested in October. Only 0.6% of respondents applied mineral fertilizer for sesame production. The number of cultivars used per village varied from 2 to 4 with an average of 2 over the entire study area. Toucountouna and Matéri had the most diversity with the largest number of cultivars (03) each. Only 1 cultivar was obtained Tanguieta. Sesame processing is low throughout the study area. Sesame cultivation can be intensified because of its low production costs.

Background The increasing temperatures due to climate change around the world poses a serious threat to sustainable crop production. The growing adverse effects of heat stress are putting global food security at great risk. Crop improvement for adaptation to increased temperatures is therefore of paramount importance. This study aims at assessing the effects of heat stress in relation to agro-morphological and physiological traits of six rice varieties. The study was carried out in the Township of Glazoué, a rice-growing area in Benin. The experiments were laid in randomized complete block design with three replications. Two types of stress were imposed: high-temperature stress in the dry season and optimal temperatures in the rainy season. The calculated mean values of morphological, physiological, and agronomic traits were used to estimate heritability, genetic advance, PCA, and correlation. Results The results showed that heat stress had a significant ( p ≤ 0.01) influence on plant height, leaf length, number of tillers, number of internodes, days to flowering, and days to maturity, 1000-seed weight, and yield per plant. The heat stress had significantly delayed the flowering of all the varieties when compared to the controls. The highest values of 1000-seed weight (34. 67 g) were recorded for BRIZ-8B while the lowest (25.33 g) were recorded for NERICA-L20. The highest values for the genotypic coefficient of variation (43.05%) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (99.13%) were recorded for yield per plant under heat stress. The topmost broad-sense heritability was recorded for grain width (92.72%), followed by days to maturity (69.33%), days to flowering (68.50%), number of grains per panicle (57.35%), and yield (54.55%). Conclusions These results showed that BRIZ-8B and BRIZ-10B were the most tolerant to high temperature amongst the six varieties assessed and potentially could be recommended to farmers for production under high temperature and be used in breeding programs to improve heat tolerance in rice.

Seeds are the most important input in agricultural production. Quality seed determines the yield of the crop and contribute to nearly 30% of crop productivity. The present study aims at surveying and collecting maize accessions in the township of North, Centre and South Benin and for their agro-morphological characterization. To this end, 32 accessions were collected from 11 townships of Benin. The villages for maize collection were chosen with the help of the heads of the association of producers in each township. The cultivars collected were put in different envelopes properly labelled. In order to evaluate the agro-morphological characteristics of the cultivars, four experiments were set up in Bassila, Glazoue, N'Dali and Adjohoun. Eighteen (18) quantitative parameters were measured at each site. The statistical analyses for the different quantitative characters showed that there was a great diversity between cultivars. The significant differences (p< 0.001) between cultivars for the different quantitative traits confirmed the diversity that existed between these cultivars. The observed diversity among cultivars were due to plant height, developmental life cycle, ear and yield parameters. These descriptors are therefore the most important to explain the variability among cultivars. Positive correlations were observed among traits. Thus, the cultivars of great high had large crown, long panicle branching, higher ear insertion height, long leaves and an average number of leaves above the ear. Cultivars with long panicles showed large and long spikes, higher panicle branching and a high number of primary panicle branches

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is an important commodity in West Africa. Its seeds are a valuable source of protein, vitamins, and income for humans. However, cowpea cultivation in Benin faces climatic constraints such as water stress caused by a prolonged absence of rain during the rainy season. Thus, this work aims at selecting cowpea varieties that can be cultivated in times of drought without compromising their yields and yield components. Twenty cowpea varieties were used, including 17 improved cultivars and 3 landraces. The experiment was conducted at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Benin and laid at a split-plot design with four replicates. Each genotype was exposed to three water treatments: fully irrigated control, vegetative stress (when plants were 23 days old, drought stress was imposed for 30 days), and reproductive stress (once the first flowers were observed, water stress was imposed for 30 days). The results showed that photochemical yield, chlorophyll content, and relative water content were reduced under water deficit at the vegetative and reproductive stages. But there were no significant differences in proline content among cowpea varieties. Agronomic traits such as number of days to flowering, number of pods, yield per plant, the weight of 100 seeds, and harvest time showed significant differences under water stress. Overall, the landraces and cultivars including Kpodjiguegue, KVX 61-1, and IT 06-K-242-3 were the most tolerant to drought stress at the vegetative and reproductive stages and could potentially be used in breeding programs to improve drought tolerance of cowpeas.