Abstract

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdcourt) was grown in the Sahel area of Burkina Faso in 2010 and 2011. Three mounding periods – 2 WAS (two weeks after sowing), 4 WAS and 7 WAS – were combined with two landraces in a randomized complete block design experiments (RCBD). These two landraces showed significant differences (P<0.05) for seed yield per plant, one hundred seeds weight and average yield. Mounding at 4 WAS induced a delay of 50% flowering (14 to 15 days) in comparison to mounding at 2 and 7 WAS. Mounding at 4 WAS reduced seed yield per plant by 9% in comparison with mounding at 2 WAS and by 29% in comparison with late mounding at 7 WAS. Mounding at 2 and 7 WAS led to the highest seed yield across the two years. Late timing at 7 WAS generated an average annual yield of 1461 kg/ha, followed by early mounding at 2 WAS with1144 kg/ha and medium mounding at 4 WAS with 887 kg/ha. Therefore, in the Sahelian agro ecological zone, farmers must avoid mounding at 4 WAS for landraces having a cycle which takes less than 90 days because it has a significant negative impact on Bambara groundnut yield.

Key words: Bambara groundnut, mounding, yield, Sahel, agro ecology, landrace.