CHANGING ASPECTS OF BAMBARA GROUNDNUT EXPLOITATION: 1. LIMITATIONS AND ALLEYWAYS FOR FUTURE EXPANSION
2024
Elias Mjaika Ndifon | Magaret Chiv | Solomon Hemba Chia
Bambara groundnut is an under-exploited legume that has the potential to contribute enormously to food security. It can be used to increase the fertility of the soil leading to high yields of other crops during mixed cropping. It was deduced from the literature reviewed that Bambara groundnut will play a major part in dealing with climate change. Bambara groundnut is the third most important legume after groundnut and cowpea in Africa, and its cultivation has extended to Asia and the Americas. It requires very little inputs (fertilizers and agrochemicals) to produce. Bambara groundnut contains crude protein (18.8 g), crude fat (6.2. g), total ash (2.4 g), crude fibre (4.8 g), carbohydrate (61.3 g), moisture (10.3 g), and energy (367 Kcal) which makes it a complete food. Bambara groundnut seeds have a higher content of amino acids (80%) (i.e.; arginine, leucine, valine, methionine, and lysine), compared to cowpea, soybean, and groundnut (circa 64%, 74%, and 65% respectively). The gross energy value of Bambara groundnut is greater than that of cowpea, lentil, and pigeonpea. Bambara groundnut is very rich in mineral nutrients: potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Efforts to increase its yield are hindered by cultural heritage, inadequate knowledge, adaptation to particular agroecological zones, lack of genetic improvement, inadequate processing, lack of functional value chains, gender stigmatization, poor land tenure systems, pests, and diseases, This review (1 of 3) was carried out to document these challenges and the efforts being made so far to overcome them.
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