October named best for sowing Bambara groundnut in southern Africa — Mongabay

Scientists studying local crops have identified October as the best period for sowing Bambara groundnut in southern Africa. Modelling for South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini showed that sowing at the beginning of the rainy season produces the highest yields, while later dates may expose the crop to frost and reduce harvests, Mongabay reports.

Half a century of data

The researchers used the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' AquaCrop model, as well as 50 years of climate and soil data. They modelled 49 growing seasons across 5,838 elevation zones in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini.

The model considered daily precipitation, air temperature, the soil's water-holding capacity, sowing dates and planting density. The analysis covered seasons from 1950 to 1999. The scientists also considered the risk of frost, which can reduce the productivity of this legume crop.

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Land suitability

The calculations excluded areas unsuitable for growing Bambara groundnut: mining areas, commercial forest plantations, urban areas, plantations and orchards. According to the authors, this made it possible to more accurately identify areas suitable for the crop and avoid overestimating their extent.

Bambara groundnut, or Vigna subterranea, is among underutilized African crops. The researchers note that local plants are often more drought-resistant and can grow in soils with low fertility. They also contain fibre, protein, zinc, iron and calcium.

One of the study's authors, Richard Kunz, believes that a similar approach can also be applied to amaranth, cowpea, peanut, pearl millet, sorghum, spider flower, Swiss chard and taro. Leonard Manda, a scientist at Mzuzu University in Malawi who was not involved in the work, called the study an important tool for planning Bambara groundnut production with maximum yields.