SOME PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS OF COWPEA (Vigna sinensis L.) SEEDS

Abstract

In this study, nutrient contents for human diet and some physical properties that are important for the design of equipments for sowing, harvesting, processing, transportation, sorting, separation and packaging of cowpea cv. Poyraz grown in Turkey were determined. The physical properties were evaluated as functions of moisture content in the moisture range from 13 to 35% d.b. for the rewetted cowpea seed. As a result, the average length, width, thickness, the geometric mean diameter, sphericity, unit mass and volume were 8.9, 6.2, 5.1, 6.61 mm, 73.9%, 0.27 g and 0.18 cm³, respectively. The bulk density decreased from 727.2 to 678.8 kg/m³, true density decreased from 1428.5 to 1000 kg/m³, porosity decreased from 48.8 to 32.1%, projected area increased from 0.5 to 0.73 cm², terminal velocity increased from 7.2 to 8.5 m/s, one thousand seed mass increased from 230.7 g. to 327.4 g,  the rupture strength of cowpea seed decreased from 88.2 to 37.6 N, the sphericity of cowpea seed decreased from 73.9 to 71.5%  while the moisture content of cowpea seed increased from 13 to 35% d.b.. Mineral contents of cowpea seeds including K, P, Ca, Na, Zn and Fe were determined 1.09%, 0.2%, 5.8%, 0.03%, 30ppm, 63ppm, respectively.