Growing Bambara

Vigna subterranea pods can be eaten fresh or boiled after drying, and can be ground to make puddings.

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The Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) has been cultivated tropical Africa for centuries. The common name appears to be derived from the Bambara district on the upper Niger near Timbuktu. The nuts were taken at an early date to Madagascar, probably by the Arabs, and reached Brazil and Suriname early in the 17th century. It was later introduced to the Philippines and Indonesia.

Bambara is the third-most grown crop among the grain legume crops of the African lowland tropics after the peanut (Arachis hypogaea) and the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata).

It is resistant to high temperatures and is suitable for marginal soils where other leguminous crops cannot be grown. Recent years have seen renewed interest in cultivation in arid savannah zones.

Estimated production of Bambara in Africa is about 330 000t. Nigeria leads in production with 100 000t, followed by Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, and Cameroon. It is grown at subsistence level in almost all sub-Saharan countries.