Bambara groundnut

The Crop Trust is an international non-profit organization dedicated to conserving and making crop diversity available for use globally, forever and for the benefit of everyone.

Crop Overview

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) is the third most important legume in Africa after groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). Its common names include njugu mawe in Swahili-speaking East Africa and Congo goober, ground-bean and hog-peanut in some English-speaking areas.

Originating in West Africa, Bambara groundnut is widely cultivated across semi-arid areas of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, as far south as Namibia and Mozambique, and on the island of Madagascar. There is increasing interest in the crop in Southeast Asia due to its tolerance of poor soils and drought. Bambara groundnut provides a critical source of food security in regions with limited resources.

Characteristics, Cultivation and Agricultural Practices

Bambara groundnut is well-adapted to hot, arid climates, thriving in low-fertility soils and showing remarkable drought tolerance. It grows best in sandy or well-drained soils with slight acidity and requires minimal rainfall (300–500 mm annually) for adequate yield. Due to its nitrogen-fixing capability, it enhances soil fertility and can reduce the need for fertilizers. This also makes it suitable for intercropping with cereals, such as maize or millet, which benefit from its contribution of nitrogen to the soil.

Bambara groundnut is relatively resistant to pests and diseases compared with other legume crops but can be affected by aphids, beetles and fungal infections such as Cercospora leaf spot in more humid conditions. Under optimal conditions, yields typically range between 600 to 1,000 kg per hectare. Cultivation systems are largely small-scale and subsistence, although there is potential for semi-commercial production under some conditions.

Nutritional, Economic and Medicinal Value

Bambara groundnut is rich in protein (18–25%) and essential amino acids, which are often lacking in cereals. It is also a good source of carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, including iron and calcium. These qualities make it a valuable crop for improving nutrition, particularly in regions where protein intake is limited.

However, the crop is also high in anti-nutritional factors that may limit protein absorption, though dehulling and other preparation methods, such as boiling, reduce their activity.

Bambara groundnut is commonly consumed in stews, porridges and roasted as a snack. It is also ground into flour and used to make bread or cakes, providing an affordable and accessible source of protein.

Some research has been done on the use of Bambara groundnut shells in biofuel production and as fishmeal.

Cultural Importance

Bambara groundnut has been widely used in traditional medicine and spiritual practices, with supposed benefits for fertility, healing and protection from spiritual attacks.

Gender Perspectives

Bambara groundnuts generally are considered a subsistence, rain-fed crop, predominantly grown, managed and processed by women on small household plots. The majority of the crop is consumed in the household, enhancing household food security. Women also tend to have control over income from any sales of the crop that they produce.

In Malawi, the strong role of women in growing Bambara groundnut is associated with the belief that only women who have lost a child can grow the crop. It is believed that the crop invites death to the household, but if a mother has already lost a child, they would be spared another death.

Expanding the commercialization of Bambara groundnut presents an opportunity to empower women economically. Improved access to resources like better seeds, training and market information could significantly enhance women’s roles in value chains, boosting their income and influence in household and community decision-making.

Why is the Crop Underutilized?

Despite its benefits, Bambara groundnut remains underutilized, primarily due to low awareness and limited market demand. The crop is often overshadowed by more widely consumed legumes like cowpeas and soybeans, which have established value chains and higher productivity. Additionally, Bambara groundnut’s labor-intensive post-harvest processing methods, such as manual shelling, limit its scalability and attractiveness to larger markets.

There is also a lack of standardized production techniques and limited availability of improved seeds, which restricts yield potential and discourages large-scale cultivation. Research initiatives are gradually addressing these challenges by promoting its nutritional benefits and exploring processing innovations, such as mechanized shelling. Raising awareness about the crop’s resilience and nutritional advantages can increase demand, support expanded cultivation and improve food security in arid regions.

Diversity Available in Genesys

Genesys, the online information platform about plant genetic resources for food and agriculture conserved in genebanks worldwide, lists more than 3,000 seed samples of Bambara groundnut.

More than 2,000 of these are held by the genebank of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
Other significant collections are held at the Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute in Ghana and National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology in Nigeria and the SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre in Zambia.
More than 2,800 of the seed samples are of landraces and only 87 are improved cultivars.