Bambara Groundnut Research Articles

Effect of Processing on the Antinutrient Content of Extruded Snacks from Cocoyam –Bambara Groundnut Flour Blends

Snacks from the blends of cocoyam and Bambara groundnut composite flour blends were developed through extrusion cooking Technology. Response Surface Methodology (RSM), formulations, and optimization of the process variables. The objective was to establish the optimum level of the effects of feed blend composition (X1), barrel temperature (X2), and feed moisture contents (X3) processing on the antinutrients composition of the composite flour blends. The responses were tannin, oxalate, phytates, and trypsin inhibitor. From the results, the tannin content ranged from 0.00 mg/100 g to 0.03 mg/100 g, oxalate 0.18 mg/100 g to 0.25 mg/100 g, phytate 0.23 mg/100 g to 0.69 mg/100 g and trypsin inhibitor 0.12mg/100g to 0.19mg/100g. These studies showed a significant difference (P≤ 0.05) for all the processing variables on all the responses. The studies show that high temperatures and low moisture content have the optimum effects on the antinutrient content.

Effect of Phosphorus Fertilizer Rates and Seed Priming Treatments on Seed Quality of Bambara Groundnut

Bambara groundnut (BG) is one of the neglected and underutilized African legumes. Not many studies have examined the seed quality response of BG landraces grown by Ugandan farmers to seed quality enhancement treatments and application of phosphorus. This study was aimed at determining the effect of applying different rates of phosphorus on seed yield and seed quality of BG, and the effect of hydropriming and halopriming with potassium nitrate on its seed quality. Field experiment was set at Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Ngetta in Uganda using RCBD with a 3x4 factorial treatment structure (3 BG landraces and 4 phosphorus rates). A standard germination test was conducted on seeds harvested from this experiment. Landrace with the poorest germination was subjected to seed priming treatments, and a standard germination test done. Phosphorus application did not significantly affect seed yield (p>0.05) of landraces but significantly affected their germination capacity and seed vigour (p<0.05). The effect of seed priming treatments on germination capacity and vigour of AbiBam 001 landrace was not significant (p >0.05). Among the landraces evaluated, only AbiBam 001 landrace responded positively to phosphorus application with respect to seed yield and seed quality. Seed priming treatments did not improve germination capacity and vigour in AbiBam 001 landrace. Phosphorus use efficiency of Bambara groundnut landraces should be investigated to explain their responses to application of phosphorus.

CONTACT EFFECT OF Jatropha curcas L. EXTRACTS FOR THE CONTROL OF Callosobruchus subinnotatus (Pic) ON STORED BAMBARA NUT, Vigna subterranea (L.) VERDCOURT

The research was conducted in the year 2017 at the Entomology Laboratory of the Department of Crop Protection, Bayero University Kano to assess insecticidal properties of Jatropha curcas L. leaf and seed powders on Callosobruchus subinnotatus (Pic) infesting stored bambara nut, Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdcourt. The study aimed at comparing the effectiveness of the product with conventional chemical insecticide (pirimiphos-methyl 2%). Factorial experiment of 2×2×2 levels (leaf and seed powders at the rates of 0.0 and 0.5 g, with and without addition of the synthetic chemical at 0.01 g/20 g bambara nut seed) were laid out in a completely randomized design and replicated three times. Results obtained indicated positive contact effect of Jatropha leaf/seed extracts on adult bruchids. The results also showed strong repellent both singly and combined treatments although better results were obtained on leaf and seed combination with increase with the time of exposure. In conclusion, appreciable level of protection on bambara nut seeds was achieved using seed powder of J. curcas. Therefore, it is recommended that for effective management of C. Subinnotatus infesting bambara nut, farmers could use 1.0 g seed powder on 20 g bambara nut seeds.

EFFECT OF FUMIGATION OF POWDER LEAF AND SEED EXTRACTS OF JATROPHA CURCAS L. ON CALLOSOBRUCHUS SUBINNOTATUS (PIC) ON STORED BAMBARA (VIGNA SUBTERRANEA (L.) VERDCOURT) NUTS

The research was conducted in the year 2017 at the Entomology Laboratory of the Department of Crop Protection, Bayero University, Kano to assess fumigation properties of Jatropha curcas L. leaf and seed powders on Callosobruchus subinnotatus (Pic) infesting stored bambara nut, Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdcourt. The study aimed at comparing the effectiveness of the products with conventional chemical insecticide (pirimiphos-methyl 2%). Factorial experiment of 2×2×2 levels (leaf and seed powders at the rates of 0.0, 0.5. 1.0 and 1.5 g, with and without addition of the synthetic chemical at 0.01 g/20 g bambara nut seed) were laid out in a completely randomized design and replicated three times. Fumigant toxicity effect was observed on the emerged insects, though the result was significantly (P< 0.001) lower. In conclusion, appreciable level of protection on bambara nut seeds was achieved using seed powder of J. curcas. Therefore, it is recommended that for effective management of C. subinnotatus infesting bambara nut, farmers could use 1.0 g seed powder on 20 g bambara nut seeds.

Genetic variability, heritability and association among yield components and proximate composition of neglected and underutilized Bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc] accessions for varietal development in Ghana

Bambara groundnut is an underutilized crop in Ghana with a lot of potential that can be harnessed to contribute to food and nutritional security in Ghana and Sub-Saharan African countries. The recent experiment was conducted to assess the genetic variability, heritability, and association among the yield components and the proximate composition of the Bambara groundnuts. Twenty-five (25) accessions of Bambara groundnut were sourced from different agro-ecological zones. The results from the analysis of variance showed a highly significant difference (p < 0.001) among almost all the traits studied. The estimate of the broad-sense heritability ranged from 12.50% to 84.458% for seed width and economic yield respectively. High heritability values accompanied by high GA were recorded for hundred seed weight (g), economic yield (g), biological yield (g), harvest index, and yield (kg). The separation of correlation coefficients into direct and indirect effects of component traits for yield traits revealed that traits such as economic yield and pod weight which were positively correlated with yield and exerted a high positive direct effect on yield could be selected for varietal development of Bambara groundnut in Ghana. The results from the proximate composition suggest that the Bambara groundnut accessions used in this study have high nutritional potentials that could serve in the alleviation of food security and nutritional problems when these accessions are selected for varietal development.

English

Bambara groundnut is the main food legume after cowpea, especially in rural areas in Burkina Faso. Due to inappropriate production and storage conditions, the seeds are susceptible to contamination by several fungi. Therefore, the present study was conducted to isolate and identify the postharvest fungi associated with Bambara groundnut seeds produced in Burkina Faso. To do this, a total of 99 seed samples were collected in the three agro ecological zones of Burkina Faso. The sanitary analysis of the seeds was carried out using the blotting paper method with slight modifications. The isolation and purification of the isolates was performed on Potato Dextrose Agar medium while their identification was done through macroscopic and microscopic phenotypical characterization using different culture media (Malt Extract Agar and Czapeck Dox Agar) and different identification keys. A total of 421 fungal strains were isolated and the predominant genera were Aspergillus belonging to section flavi (66.84%), nigri (59.04%), and Macrophomina (26.49%). This study shows that Bambara groundnut seeds produced in Burkina Faso are contaminated by several fungal strains and that seed infection rates by these fungi differ according to the agro-ecological zones. Post-harvest and storage techniques need to be improved to limit crop losses. &nbsp; Key words: Agro-ecological zone, Bambara groundnut, seeds, fungal strains, macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, Burkina Faso.

A Goal Programming Approach to Multi-Objective Farm Planning Among Small-Scale Arable Crop Farmers in Kogi State, Nigeria

Summary The purpose of this study was to develop prototype farm plans according to the multi-objective production goals of small-scale arable crop producers in Kogi State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 137 farm households in different local government areas (LGAs). A structured questionnaire complemented with interview schedule was used to collect primary data from the respondents. Descriptive statistics and linear goal programming were used for data analysis. The results obtained indicate that the optimal plan of generating an income of ₦242,076.20 requires 0.368 ha of melons, 0.044 ha of yam/maize mixture and 0.259 ha of sorghum/groundnuts. The optimal net profit was 44.05% higher than that achieved by implementing the existing plan. To meet family food requirements, the solution plan prescribed devoting 0.048 ha to cassava, 0.211 ha to sorghum, 0.368 ha to melons, 0.074ha to Bambara nuts, and 1.065 ha to sorghum/groundnuts to generate an income of ₦158,475.00. To minimize paid labour and generate an income of ₦168,325.50, the plan prescribed devoting 0.195 ha to rice, 0.502 ha to melons and 0.246 ha to Bambara nuts. Out of the three basic farm household objectives considered, meeting family food requirements and limiting labour expenditure were overachieved, whereas the objective of maximizing farm income was underachieved. A great deal of the existing staple food plan was found consistent with the prescribed optimal plan, except in the case of existing cassava and Bambara nut production which was falling short of the optimal production prescribed. The maize/groundnut production had the lowest shadow prices. However, land, labour, capital, agrochemicals, fertilizers and seeds constituted the limiting resources in the plan. It was found that these resources were not optimally allocated in the existing plan for arable crop activities. Therefore, the respondents were advised to utilize their resources as prescribed in the optimum plan, supported by farm advisory services in selecting good crop mixtures.

Evaluation of three plant powders as protectants of bambara groundnut against Callosobruchus maculatus F. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) infestation and damage

Evaluation of three plant powders as protectants of bambara groundnut against Callosobruchus maculatus F. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) infestation and damage

Characterization and Evaluation of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) for Yield and Related Traits in Asosa Zone, Northwestern Ethiopia

Bambara groundnut, a future emerging legume, is usually known as a poor man’s crop or as “women’s crop” and newly noted as crop for new millennium. In this context, a field experiment was conducted during 2019/20 cropping season at Sonka testing site of Asosa zone in northwestern Ethiopia with objective to estimate the variability of Bambara groundnut genotypes with respect to important quantitative and qualitative traits. Treatments consisted in 20 accessions collected from five distracts of Benishangul Gumuz province in northwestern Ethiopia. The treatments were laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. All the qualitative characteristics recorded for genotypes showed different modalities and frequencies at vegetative stage with 70.12% of the fully expanded leaflet colour, 74.26% oval terminal leaflet shape, 76.24% petiole green colour, 78.22% stem green colour, 88.27% sparse hair on their stems, 70.41% spreading types, 81.33% rounded base with a point at the top, 90.11% yellowish brown pods at harvest, and 90.06% oval shaped seeds. With respect to quantitative traits, genotypes AMN/04/013, AMN/04/014, AMN/04/015, AMN/04/019, and AMN/04/020 gave relatively higher grain yield (&gt;2000 kg/ha) with the highest grain yield recorded for genotype AMN/04/016. Thus, these genotypes showed relatively better adaptation at tested location. Higher correlation values were observed for days to maturity, plant height, number of stems per plant, pods per plant, seed per pod, and HSW, indicating that these traits are very important to be used in selection for the crop improvement. Agronomic and morphological evaluations have provided more accurate estimation of genetic diversity, the raw material of plant breeding. In general, this study enabled to determine how the influential traits direct to improve Bambara groundnut genotypes.

Effects of lyotropic series salts on the functional properties of bambara groundnut (Voandzeia subterranean) protein isolate

Lyotropic series salts have profound effects on the stability and the biochemical equilibrium of proteins colloids. The influence of kosmotropic and chaotropic salts on some functional properties of a protein isolate prepared from Voandzeia subterranean was investigated. Experimental results showed that the foaming, emulsifying and gelation properties were better in dispersions prepared with chaotropic salts (NaI, NaClO4 and NaSCN) than those prepared with kosmotropic salts (Na2SO4, NaCl and NaBr). However, kosmotropic salts improved water holding capacity more than the chaotropic salts. Increase in the water holding capacity followed the lyotropic or Hofmeister trend: NaSCN&lt;NaClO4&lt;NaI,&lt;NaBr&lt;NaCl&lt;Na2SO4 while the reverse was observed in foaming, emulsifying and gelation properties. This study provides relevant information in understanding the bio-physical behaviour of the seed protein colloids in chaotropic or kosmotropic solutions.

Parametric improvement of hammer mill for bambara flour production using desirability optimization methodology

Characterization and optimization of hammer mill for bambara flour production which reduces drudgery, time loss and multiple milling associated with existing technologies for bambara nut milling operation was performed. Desirability function analysis and optimization technique was utilized to obtain the optimal result which revealed the process/operational parameters (factors) with significant influence on the machine as the bambara grains’ moisture content, number and speed of cross beaters. It also showed throughput and milling efficiency as its functional performance indicators. The number and speed of the cross beater and the bambara nut moisture content affect the particle size of the milled bambara flour directly. The optimal values of the number and speed of cross beaters and bambara nut moisture content were determined as 6, 1610.00rpm and 11.42% respectively which caused increase in capacity and efficiency of the machine.

PROXIMATE COMPOSITION AND ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES OF PUMPKIN (Cucurbita moschata)-BASED COMPLEMENTARY FOODS WITH SEVERAL TYPES OF NUTS

Complementary Foods is food given to infants aged 6-24 months. Complementary foods must fulfill the criteria for nutritional needs that have been regulated by the government such as adequacy of macro and micro nutrients. One of the local food ingredients that can be used as complementary foods is pumpkin.Pumpkin is known to contain nutritional components that are quite complete but have a small protein content. Therefore, it is necessary to add nuts as a source of protein. The purpose of this study was to determine the comparison effect of pumpkin puree with various types of nuts on the proximate composition and organoleptic properties of complementary foods. This study used a completely randomized design with one factor, namely the differences in the type of bean puree with five levels of treatments, A1 (35% pumpkin: 35% Bambara bean), A2 (35% pumpkin: 35% kidney bean), A3 (35% pumpkin: 35% mung bean), A4 (35% pumpkin: 35% soybean), and A5 (35% pumpkin: 35% edamame bean). Data analysis using analysis of variance and Kruskall Wallis test. The result showed that the Complementary Foods formulations made with 35% pumpkin puree and 35% soybean puree had the highest nutritional content. The Complementary Foods had 57.25% water content, 2.83% ash content, 20.62% protein content, and 10.49 fat content which had fulfill the Complementary Foods standard except the carbohydrate content. The addition of nuts puree to pumpkin complementary foods had an effect on color and texture sensors and all parameters in the hedonic test.

Effects of Extrusion Cooking Variables on the Proximate Composition of Extruded Snacks from Blends of Cocoyam and Bambara Nut Flours

Flour blends of cocoyam and Bambara groundnut were produced through extrusion cooking. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) was adopted for the formulations. Association of Analytical Chemist procedure was used to determine the proximate composition. The main objective was to determine the effects of the processing variables; feed blend composition (X1), barrel temperature (X2), and feed moisture content (X3), on Snacks and the proximate composition (moisture, protein, lipids, fibre, ash, and carbohydrate) of the extrudate. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significance (p&lt; 0.05) of the models fitted in describing the relationship between the input and output in its natural state. There was a non-significant lack–of–fit test. The result of the moisture showed that the model X1, X2, (linear) X12, X2 2, (quadratic) were all significant (P ≤0.05) while the interactive terms X12, X22, X32, had an anta gonistic relationship at (P &lt;0.05). An upward increase in moisture at the linear and quadratic levels will positively affect the product quality. Moisture content ranged between 2.65 to 4.02%, protein content ranged between 3.40 to 7.01%, the ash content ranged from 1.36mg/100g to 2.33mg/100g, the fibre content varied between 0.18mgand100 to 1.94mg/100g, The ANOVA showed that the processing variables were significant (P&lt; 0.05).

Post-Harvest Management Practices Of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna Subterranea (L.) Verdc) Seeds In Burkina Faso

Bambara groundnut plays a major role in the production systems and diets of farmers in Burkina Faso. This crop, due to certain production, storage, or preservation conditions, is subject to damage by insects and fungi. Effective post-harvest management can contribute significantly to reducing losses during storage. This study was carried out in the three agro-ecological areas in Burkina Faso to assess post-harvest management practices of Bambara groundnut among farmers. The data were collected from 180 farmers using surveys. The results showed that the culture of Bambara groundnut was mainly carried out by women (74.4%) on small farms (0.25-0.5ha). The harvested crops were dried at home during a period of 5 to 14 days. About 53% of farmers stored seeds for more than 3 months. Seeds were mainly stored in hermetically sealed cans (45.6%) and in plastic bags (31.1%). Some products such as wood ash and chemicals were used for seed storage. Challenges during seed storage were insects (91.4%) and fungi (42.9%). In the case of seeds attacked by pests (insects, fungi, etc.), farmers (84.4%) adopt a set of measures consisting of sorting, winnowing, drying, and repackaging the seeds. Besides the existence of traditional storage techniques, there is still a need to develop effective storage techniques and continue building farmers’ awareness on improved storage technologies to avoid post-harvest losses.

Scope of Horse Gram and Bambara Groundnut as Source of Food and Feed Legume: A Review

Underutilized legumes are nutritionally important group of crops with immense medicinal values and contribute significantly as a resource of profit to the poor farmers. Horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum) and Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean) are two such underutilized legumes largely grown in India and other South Asian countries contribute significantly to the diet of poor people during adverse climatic condition particularly to them who cannot afford to grow pulses that require balanced nutrition. They are fit for diversification, green manuring and may be used as cover crops and also thrive well under stressful dry environment. Changing lifestyle and climate variability bring enough scope for their cultivation and profitability. Horse gram is medicinally superior to other traditionally consumed pulses and can fight against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Besides its use as fodder crop, it cures urinary stones, gastritis, excessive post-partum bleeding, rheumatism, coronary heart disease, diabetes, etc. Bambara groundnut has distinctive drought adaptations and is suitable under semi-arid climate. Extract of Bambara groundnut is used as weaning food in African countries. The present review focuses on origin, morphology, genetic diversity, traditional uses, nutritional and medicinal importance, potential as food and fodder crop and constraints to higher productivity of both horse gram and Bambara groundnut.

Unveiling Genetic Diversity, Characterization, and Selection of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) Genotypes Reflecting Yield and Yield Components in Tropical Malaysia.

Addressing genetic diversity and application of appropriate breeding strategies are imperative for Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L.) improvement as a newly introduced legume in Malaysia. It has become a “miracle lucrative” legume for Asia and Africa because of its drought resilience, excellent nutritional profiles, and versatile uses. This crop's progress has been limited owing to a lack of extensive research, marginalization, inadequate knowledge, and a lack of accessible funds, among other concerns. The expansion of this crop is reliant on the assessment and selection of unique and reliable breeding lines in various circumstances. Consequently, the goal of this work is to determine genetic diversity and the relationship between yield-contributing components in 44 Bambara groundnut accessions sourced from the Genebank of Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security (ITAFoS) at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Three replications were used in the experiment, which was done using a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The data were subjected to ANOVA, PCA, correlation, and heat map cluster analysis; also, genetic parameters and broad-sense heritability estimation were carried out on recorded phenotypic descriptors. All of the investigated variables had a significant variance (p ≤ 0.05 or 0.01) according to the ANOVA results. Yield per hectare showed a positively strong to perfect significant correlation (0.75 ≤ r ≤ 1.00; p ≤ 0.01) with the yield components viz. fresh pod weight, hundred seed weight, dry pod weight, and dry seed weight. Interestingly, these traits had heritability ≥ 60% and genetic gain ≥ 20%, which can be beneficial for direct selection to this crop improvement. The UPGMA clustering revealed five distinct clusters in which genotypes under cluster I, cluster II, and cluster IV produce a greater yield of 5.96%, 7.12%, and 15.05%, respectively, than the grand mean yield of 1927.01 kg/ha. The PCA biplot estimated that PC1 (32.9%) and PC2 (12.9%) would cover 45.8% of the total variance. We discovered 30 promising lines that provide yields per hectare more than 1.8 ton/ha and might be used as parental lines in future breeding operations aimed at improving the grain yield in tropical areas or comparable agroecological zones.

Indigenous African Orphan Legumes: Potential for Food and Nutrition Security in SSA

In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), both crop production and the hidden hunger index (HHI, a combination of zinc, iron, and vitamin A deficiency), continue to be worse than the rest of the world. Currently, 31 out of 36 countries of SSA show the highest HHI. At the same time, several studies show climate change as a major constraint to agriculture productivity and a significant threat to SSA food security without significant action regarding adaptation. The food security of SSA is dependent on a few major crops, with many of them providing largely only an energy source in the diet. To address this, crop diversification and climate-resilient crops that have adaptation to climate change can be used and one route toward this is promoting the cultivation of African orphan (neglected or underutilized) crops. These crops, particularly legumes, have the potential to improve food and nutrition security in SSA due to their cultural linkage with the regional food habits of the communities, nutritionally rich food, untapped genetic diversity, and adaptation to harsh climate conditions and poor marginal soils. Despite the wide distribution of orphan legumes across the landscape of SSA, these important crop species are characterized by low yield and decreasing utilization due in part to a lack of improved varieties and a lack of adequate research attention. Genomic-assisted breeding (GAB) can contribute to developing improved varieties that yield more, have improved resilience, and high nutritional value. The availability of large and diverse collections of germplasm is an essential resource for crop improvement. In the Genetic Resources Center of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, the collections of orphan legumes, particularly the Bambara groundnut, African yambean, and Kersting's groundnut, have been characterized and evaluated for their key traits, and new collections are being undertaken to fill gaps and to widen the genetic diversity available to underpin breeding that can be further utilized with GAB tools to develop faster and cost-effective climate-resilient cultivars with a high nutrition value for SSA farmers. However, a greater investment of resources is required for applying modern breeding to orphan legume crops if their full potential is to be realized.

Preliminary Assessment of Bambara Groudnutnut [Vigna Subterranea (L.) Verdc.] Landraces for Incidence of Pre-Emergence Damping-Off Disease and Yield under Irrigated and Rain-Fed Conditions

Fusarium oxysporum attacks Bambara groundnut at all stages of development. Attack prior to seed germination results in pre-emergence damping-off disease that can lead to losses in crop stands which eventually reduce crop yield. Dry and wet season field trials were conducted to evaluate the effect of incidence of the disease on yield of Bambara nut landraces in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria. Three Bambara nut landraces (Cream, Red and Black) were laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design replicated three times in each season. Significant (P≤0.05) differences were observed among the landraces in respect of percentage seed germination, seedling emergence, disease incidence and pod yield. Seed germination ranged from 68.9 - 80.0 %. Field emergence test taken from the average of the two seasons ranged from 40.4 – 72.3 %. Mean across the seasons showed that Black had the highest (72.3) percent emerged seedlings, lowest (26.7 %) disease incidence and highest pod yield of 207.2 kg/ha. While Cream had the highest (65) percent disease incidence, the lowest (40.4) percent emerged seedlings and lowest pod yield of 76.6 kg/ha. Cream is the most popular choice of the farmers and consumers, and coincidentally the most susceptible among the landraces. Low disease incidence in the wet season did not result in higher pod yield due to end of season drought. With uncertainty/variability of rainfall pattern in the region, dry season is the second best option for planting the crop.

Architectural Responses of Cashew to Intercropping and Nutritional Amendments in Nigerian Guinea Savanna Agro Ecology

Field experiment was conducted at Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria sub-station Ochaja, to evaluate the impact of manure and intercrops on cashew tree growth, canopy development and yield. Treatments consisted of Bambara and Sesame intercrops and manuring using Cocoa pod husk (CPH) and NPK fertilizer applied at the rate of 0, 1,713kg and 400kg/ha respectively. The experiment was laid out in a split-split plot design with three replications and monitored within the two years of study. Data collected includes: Plant height, Stem girth and canopy North-South/East-West direction. These was used to calculate: crown diameter, canopy spread, canopy volume, canopy ground cover and canopy ground cover percentage. The results showed that the growth characters of Cashew were positively influenced by alley crops of Sesame and Bambara nut and manuring. Manuring with CPH exerted differences in the responses of cashew to alley crops, in particular, canopy development. Intercropping with a combination of bambara-sesame and the application of NPK fertilizer proved to have the highest Cashew growth development but showed no significant differences on the yield and yield attribute. The GGE biplot results identified the best intercrop system for each of the three-fertilizer type treatment. Within the two years of the experiment, Cashew development was not hampered by the introduction of the different intercropping systems.

Phylogenetically diverse Bradyrhizobium genospecies nodulate Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) and soybean (Glycine max L. Merril) in the northern savanna zones of Ghana.

A total of 102 bacterial strains isolated from nodules of three Bambara groundnut and one soybean cultivars grown in nineteen soil samples collected from northern Ghana were characterized using multilocus gene sequence analysis. Based on a concatenated sequence analysis (glnII-rpoB-recA-gyrB-atpD-dnaK), 54 representative strains were distributed in 12 distinct lineages, many of which were placed mainly in the Bradyrhizobium japonicum and Bradyrhizobium elkanii supergroups. Twenty-four of the 54 representative strains belonged to seven putative novel species, while 30 were conspecific with four recognized Bradyrhizobium species. The nodA phylogeny placed all the representative strains in the cosmopolitan nodA clade III. The strains were further separated in seven nodA subclusters with reference strains mainly of African origin. The nifH phylogeny was somewhat congruent with the nodA phylogeny, but both symbiotic genes were mostly incongruent with the core housekeeping gene phylogeny indicating that the strains acquired their symbiotic genes horizontally from distantly related Bradyrhizobium species. Using redundancy analysis, the distribution of genospecies was found to be influenced by the edaphic factors of the respective sampling sites. In general, these results mainly underscore the high genetic diversity of Bambara groundnut-nodulating bradyrhizobia in Ghanaian soils and suggest a possible vast resource of adapted inoculant strains.