Growth and Yield Response of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc) to Varying Densities and Phosphate Fertilizer Rates in Calabar, South Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

The low sufficiency of animal protein sources has elevated the need for alternative protein sources. Despite its food security potential, bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc) has remained an orphaned or neglected underutilized crop. The need to increase national output will necessitate its introduction into areas with no history of the crop. Two year field experiments were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Calabar, Nigeria to evaluate the effects of three planting densities (30 x 30, 30 x 40 and 30 x 50 cm) corresponding to 111,111; 83,333 and 69,400 plants ha^-1and four levels of P₂O₅ (0, 45, 60 and 75 kg ha^-1) on the yield performance of bambara nut, using a 3 x 4 factorial experiment. Treatments were dispersed using randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed that the vegetative attributes were not significantly affected by the treatments. However, total dry matter, dry pod yield and the seed yield ha^-1 significantly increased at 83,333 plants ha^-1 than at other densities and resulted in the best seed yield of Bambara nut. The effects of P₂O₅ however, may have been masked due to high P fixing ability of acid soils.

Keywords: Neglected crops, Bambara nuts, Planting density, P₂O₅, yield performance