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Lipid and Carbohydrate Metabolism of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) Cultivars in Relation to Temperature Stress

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Crop Production for Agricultural Improvement

Abstract

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is a legume adapted to subtropical to tropical conditions. It is susceptible to chilling temperatures, primarily during the early stages of germination. Twenty five cultivars were screened for germination at low (10°C), moderate (30°C), and at high (40°C) temperatures. Temperatures held at 10°C, <40°C, <30°C had a negative effect on germination percent and coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG). Three cultivars (Texas Cream 40, Black Crowder and Mississippi Purple) were chosen such as ‘Texas Cream 40’ was able to germinate at very high and low temperatures. ‘Black Crowder’ demonstrated acceptable germination at high temperatures but negatively affected at low temperature. Cultivar ‘Mississippi Purple’ obtained low germination percentage and CVG at all temperatures studied. Lipid, sugar compositions, and peroxidase activity were determined in whole ungerminated seed, cotyledon and embryo tissues of the cowpea cultivars. The main sugars present in cowpea seed were sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose. Sucrose contents were higher in the embryo tissue of cultivars with low percent germination, and reduced in the cultivar with higher percent germination suggesting the use of sucrose for germination. Raffinose and stachyose contents were higher in ungerminated seed. In germinated seed, raffinose and stachyose contents were found only in cotyledon tissues at 10°C. The most abundant fatty acids in cowpea seed were palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and arachidic acid. The results showed that the long-chain fatty acids appear to be important in the cowpea seed germination process. Peroxidase activity was affected by cultivars, type of tissue and temperature. The highest peroxidase activity was found at low temperature (10°C) in embryo tissue of the cultivar with the highest germination. High peroxidase activity was related to ability of seed to germinate at low temperature. Thus, the information provided by this research will facilitate future plant physiological and genetic studies of cowpea as well as other plant species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agriculture, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, 1200 North University Drive, Mail Slot 4913, Pine Bluff, AR, 71601, USA

    Shahidul Islam & James Otis Garner Jr.

  2. Plant and Soil Sciences, Missippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA

    Carmen Rafaela Carvajal Rebanales

Authors
  1. Shahidul Islam
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  2. Carmen Rafaela Carvajal Rebanales
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  3. James Otis Garner Jr.
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Correspondence to Shahidul Islam .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Ashraf

  2. Center for Environmental Studies, Ege University, Bornova, Izmir, 35100, Turkey

    Münir Öztürk

  3. , Department of Botany, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Jail Road, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan

    Muhammad Sajid Aqeel Ahmad

  4. , Department of Biology, Erciyes University, Rektörlüğü, Melikgazi, 38039, Kayseri, Turkey

    Ahmet Aksoy

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Islam, S., Rebanales, C.R.C., Garner, J.O. (2012). Lipid and Carbohydrate Metabolism of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) Cultivars in Relation to Temperature Stress. In: Ashraf, M., Öztürk, M., Ahmad, M., Aksoy, A. (eds) Crop Production for Agricultural Improvement. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4116-4_28

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