Fusarium solani is a cosmopolitan fungus causing mortality of young cowpea plants and severe wilting at an advanced stage of plant development. As a result, it considerably affects cowpea production, undermining food and nutritional security. The use of resistant varieties combined with appropriate agricultural practices is a very effective and sustainable strategy to control the disease. It is with this in mind that this study was carried out to identify sources of cowpea resistance to Fusarium solani. It consisted of screening 20 cowpea genotypes under a controlled environment with the Liv2-Kom-F03 isolate from Fusarium solani. The experimental design used was a split plot with four replications. The data recorded are the emergence of plants on the 10th day after inoculation (DAI), the mortality of the plants on the 30th DAI, the mortality of the plants on the 60th DAI, the incidence of disease on the 60th DAI, and the severity of the disease on the 60th DAI. The results of ANOVA on the severity of the disease have allowed to identify five resistant genotypes (B301, TVU14676, TN 88-63, KN-1, and YIISYANDE). The resistant genotypes identified in the present study could be used in the cowpea breeding program in Burkina Faso for the development of improved varieties resistant to Fusarium wilt.

Burkina Faso; Fusarium solani; genotypes; resistance; Vigna unguiculata