On-farm assessment of selected dual-purpose groundnut (Arachis hypogae) cultivars for food and feed

Abstract

Ten field trials were conducted on farmers' fields in five villages in sub humid environment of northern Nigeria during the 1998 and l 999 cropping seasons to test the performances of improved groundnut cultivars for forage and seed production. Farmers' preferences and reasons for preference of the cultivars were also assessed. All the selected (improved) cultivars out yielded the local (control) cultivar. Forage, pod and seed yields were greater for cultivar M343-801A, followed by cutlivar 88-801 and then cultivar M516-79l in that order. With the exception of Ca concentration, other nutritive value indices measured, showed sufficient concentrations for livestock production during the critical periods of low quality and scarce forage materials.

Keywords: Groundnut, cultivars, food, feed, assessmention-farm