Nearly seventy species of fungi has been found in cowpea seeds colected in several brasilian states. The seed borne fungi Botrydiplodia sp., Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, Curvularia lunata (seedling anomalies), Fusarium oxysporum, F. oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli, F. semitectum, Macrophomina phaseolina and Phomopsis sojae were patogenic to cowpea. Also cowpea seed borne viruses has been studied in Brazil at the Federal University of Ceará, and University of Brasilia. About cowpea seed borne bacterea one report informe on the occurrence of Xanthomonas vignicola in plantations in the state of Piaui and the important rule of the seeds on the dissemination of that pathogen. The methodology used in Brazil for detection of cowpea seed-borne fungi has not been uniform. Generally the researches has employed the Agar and Blotter methods, making or not the pre-tratment of seeds. The incubations conditions presented variation on the quately and intensity of ilumination, temperature and duration of the period.