Groundnut production constraints, farming systems, and farmer-preferred traits in Tanzania

Summary

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) production in Tanzania is affected by a multitude of biotic and abiotic stresses and socioeconomic constraints. The objective of this study was to document groundnut farmers’ major production constraints, farming systems, and varietal trait preferences in selected agro-ecologies of Tanzania. A participatory rural appraisal study was conducted in three groundnut-producing zones: Lake, Central, and Southern. Data were collected from 170 groundnut farmers using a semi-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions, and field observations. The production constraints were mainly diseases and pests, which were reported by 87.7% and 84.9% of respondents, respectively. Groundnut rust, caused by Puccinia arachidis Speg, was the major cause of yield reduction, as reported by 30% of the respondents. Drought stress and non-availability of seed of improved varieties were other important constraints, as reported by 83.9% and 76.1% of the respondents, respectively. Groundnut agronomic attributes preferred by farmers were as follows: high yield (reported by 78.4% of respondents), disease resistance (71.2%), early maturity (66%), drought tolerance (63.0%), and pest resistance (63%). Medium-to-large grain size (reported by 62.6% of respondents) and tan and red seed color (59.2%) were the main farmer- and market-preferred groundnut seed quality traits. Groundnut variety development programs should therefore address the above constraints and farmer-preferred traits for sustainable groundnut production and productivity in Tanzania.