ABSTRACT
The genus Psophocarpus is composed of about 9 species, 8 of which are indigenous to Africa. The ninth species is P. tetragonolobus or the winged bean. The plant is a climbing perennial with large 4-angled pods and is grown on a trellis as an annual. It is cultivated in the high rainfall tropics and subtropics of Southeast Asia, Oceania and Africa. The seeds have approximately the same quantity and quality of protein and oil as that of the soybean. In addition, the tubers have about 5 to 20% protein. In some countries, leaves, flowers, and young pods form a minor part of the human diet. There appears to be considerable morphological and chemical variation within the domesticate. However, seed collections are few and a major effort should be made especially in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia to obtain additional germplasm. The greatest potential for the winged bean is as a protein crop for those high rainfall areas which traditionally depend on staple crops such as yams and cassavas which are low in protein. Unfortunately, relatively few agronomic, nutritional, and plant breeding studies have been conducted on the winged bean.
