Supplemental Material for Sansa et al., 2024

This research phenotyped cowpea accessions for drought tolerance and photosynthesis efficiency across three locations in two years and under two water regimes (well-watered and water-stressed). A GWAS was further conducted to identify significant SNP markers and favourable genes associated with drought tolerance and photosynthetic efficiency in cowpea. This finding from this study provides an opportunity for cowpea breeders to explore the role of photosynthesis in the genetic enhancement of cowpea tolerance to drought. In addition, the Identified markers and candidate genes upon validation are valuable resources useful for marker-assisted selection thereby accelerating genetic gains in cowpea breeding programs focused on developing climate-resilient cowpea varieties in sub-Saharan Africa.