Genetic dissection of protein content in cowpea using custom-made NIRS equations and GWAS as a model for nutritional breeding and undergraduate research training

The manuscript titled \"Genetic Dissection of Protein Content in Cowpea Using Custom-made NIRS equations and GWAS as a Model for Nutritional Breeding and Undergraduate Research Training\" examines the genetic basis of grain protein content in cowpea (black-eye pea), a key crop for food and nutrition security. The authors evaluated 287 diverse cowpea accessions using a species-specific near-infrared spectroscopy model with high accuracy to estimate protein levels.
, , # Data from: Genetic dissection of protein content in cowpea using custom-made NIRS equations and GWAS as a model for nutritional breeding and undergraduate research training

This dataset supports the manuscript that investigates the genetic basis of seed protein content in cowpea (*Vigna unguiculata* L. Walp) using genome-wide association studies (GWAS)
and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). 
A total of 287 cowpea accessions were evaluated, including 281 from the University of California Riverside (UCR) Minicore Collection and six locally grown U.S. cultivars. Field experiments were conducted in 2021 at the University of Florida Plant Science Research and Education Unit (PSREU), Citra, FL, using a row-column design with two replications.

Wet chemistry analysis provided reference values for NIRS calibration. A cowpea-specific NIRS model (R = 0.86, r = 0.92)
was developed and compared with the commercial Legume Hay (LH)equation for estimating crude protein (CP). The CP esti..., ,