Groundnut Production In Agriculture

Botanical name: Arachid hypogea

Groundnut is planted mainly in the Northern parts like Kaduna, Kano, Zaria. It can also be produced in south-west. It is referred to as “Epa” in Yoruba land.

VARIETIES

They are two major varieties of groundnut

1.   Erect/ Bunching types:  This develops erect stem

2.   Creeping/crawling type: This develops crawling stem    

 They crawl on the soil.

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS

Temperature: 25⁰c - 30⁰c

Rainfall: 70cm – 100 cm per annum

Soil requirements: Groundnut requires fertile sand loam soil with plenty organic matter. If performs well in the soil PH 5:7

Land preparation: Clearing of the land, plough, harrow, ridge, plant on flat surface

Propagation: Propagation is by seed, i.e. sexual propagation

Seed rate: 2-3 seeds per hole or About 40kg – 90kg per hectare

Planting depth – 4cm

Planting date: In the south it is planted March – April

In the North between May – July

Planting distance: About 40cm to 60cm x 20cm Cultural practices    

1.   Thinning: This is the removal of excess seedlings

2.   Supplying: Replacing the ungerminated seeds

3.   Fertilizer Application: Groundnut requires phosphorus fertilizer because of the pod production but N.P.K can be applied 10:20:10

4.   Weeding: is done manually, mechanically or chemically. It should be carried out twice before harvesting

5.   Pest and diseases: Should be controlled by spraying chemicals like fungicide, pesticide        

6.   Maturity period: Groundnut matures 5 months after plating.

7.   Method of harvesting: groundnut pod are harvested from the soil by the use of cutlass, shovel, spade, hand towel, garden fork.

Farm level processing: Separation of pods from sand to ensure clean pods.

Drying: The pods should be dried

Shelling: can be manually, technically

Storage: Groundnut pods can be stored in bags

DISEASES OF GROUNDNUT  

1.   Groundnut rosette – viral

2.   Leaves spot/Tika – fungus

3.   Mould

PESTS

1.   Rat

2.   Birds

3.   Lizards

4.   Termites

5.   Grasshopper

6.   Squirel

COWPEA

Botanical name: Vigna unguiculata

1.   Sokoto white

2.   Kano white

3.   Ife Bimpe

4.   Ife brown and other improved varieties

CLIMATIC AND SOIL REQUIREMENT

Well drained sandy loamy soil

Temperature: 26⁰c – 30⁰c

Rainfall: 750mm – 1500mm volume of rainfall

Propagation: by seed

Land preparation: clear, plough, harrow and plant

Planting date: 1^st week in September in the south, late in July in North

Spacing: it depends on the variety planted

For bunch: 90cm by 30cm

For runner type: 30cm by 1m

Seed rate: 2 seeds per hole

Planting depth: 3cm – 4cm deep

Maturity period: 2-3 months

Fertilizer application: farmyard and compost manure or any non-nitrogenous fertilizer will help, but when purpose of plant is for forage N.P.K 15:15:15 can be used

Weeding: Should be done at least twice

Harvesting: Cowpea could be harvested green or when dry by hand or by the use of combine harvester

Storage: it is stored in Jute sack and pot or any other air tight container

Note: cowpea has to be sprayed every three weeks to drive away pests and insects

USE OF COWPEA

1.   As food

2.   For cover crop

3.   For green manure

4.   For forage in livestock

PESTS OF COWPEA

1.   Pod borer:  Adult pod bores piece or bore hole into fruit and stem of cowpea and inject toxic saliva.

Control: Spray with chemical like insecticides

2.   Beans bettle: This is a field to store pests which boreholes into seeds, feed on them thereby reducing the quality and quantity and the market value.

Control

1.   Early harvesting of pods

2.   Fumigation of the store with fumigant such as phostoxin tablet

3.   Leaf hoppers; They eat up leaves thereby causing low yield of crop

Control:  Spray plants with insecticides

DISEASES OF COWPEA

A)   Cowpea Mosaic: It is a viral disease transmitted by aphid. It causes stunted growth, reduces pod size and causes premature fruiting.

i.             Control:  Plant resistance variety 

ii.           Remove and burn infected plant

B)   Bacterial Blight: It is caused by bacteria, spread by water, infected leaves produce water scale spot which later enlarge and turns brown.

i.           Control: plant resistance variety

ii.         Use clean seeds when planting

C)   Nematodes disease:  It is caused by nematode and transmitted by rough

It causes twisting and curlling of leaves, galls and rotten roots

Control: use resistance variety

i.             Treat soil with nematicide

ii.           Good cultural practice