HOW$TO$GROW$MORE$GROUNDNUT$ (And$save$5me$and$money!)$
Cous$husks,$rice$hulls,$and$animal$dung$are$not$waste$products,$they$can$be$fer5lizer$for$groundnut$ In#2014,#farmers#in#North#Bank#and#Central#River#Regions#worked#with#Njawara#Agricultural#Training#Center#(NATC)#and#the# Agency#for#Village#Support#(AVISU)#to#conduct#experimental#trials#to#test#ways#of#improving#the#producJon#of#groundnut.# They#found#that#while#NPK#ferJlizer#increases#producJon,#there#are#cheaper#and#easier#ways#that#are#available#for#every# farmer.#Animal'dung,'rice'hulls,'and'cous'husks'were'all'found'to'increase'produc7on,#especially#in#fields#that#have#low# ferJlity#or#suffered#from#drought.#These#materials#are#useful#alone#or#in#combinaJon#with#expensive#NPK#ferJlizer.#
This$experiment$tested$combina5ons$of:$ NPK:$ ! Zero& ! Low&(1#bag#of#50kg#/#hectare)# ! Medium&(2#bags#of#50kg#/#hectare)# ! High&(4#bags#of#50kg#/#hectare)#
A&farmer&standing&by&the&part&of&his& trial&field&that&received&cow&dung&
Organic$materials:$ ! Nothing& ! Cous&husks& ! Rice&hulls& ! Cow&dung&
Results$for$drought$stressed$and$low$fer5lity$fields$ (as&average&increase&in&kg&groundnut&compared&against&unferWlized&control&plots)&
+$11%$ Cous$husks$only$ +$16%$ Rice$Hulls$only$ +$37%$ Cow$dung$only$ $ $ Low$NPK$only$$ $$$$$$$$$+$22%$ Medium$NPK$only$ +$37%$ +$39%$ High$NPK$only$ $
$ Low&levels&of&cous&husks,&rice& hulls,&and&cow&dung&were&$ tested&in&this&experiment—one& 50kg&rice&bag&full&was&used&to& cover&50&square&meters.&This& amount&should&be&available&to& many&farmers&and&was&found& to&have&valuable&benefits.&
Recommenda5ons$for$increasing$your$groundnut$produc5on$ &
$ Low$NPK$+$cous$husks$$$$$$+$42%$ Low$NPK$+$rice$hulls$$$$$$$$$$$$$$+$47%$ Low$NPK$+$cow$dung$$$$$$$$+$55%$
1)$Do$not$burn$your$fields$or$your$cous$husks$from$threshing.&If&necessary,&rake&the&maize&or&cous&stalks& into&narrow&rows&so&that&you&can&plant&between&them.&& & 2)$Iden5fy$other$resources.&In&addiWon&to&cous&husks,&look&for&animal&dung&or&rice&hulls&from&threshing.& Make&sure&you&are&using&these&resources&before&buying&expensive&NPK.& & 3)$Spread$these$materials$in$your$groundnut$field$just$before$you$5ll$the$ground$to$plant.&They&should&be& spread&as&a&thin&cover,&as&in&the&pictures&above.&It&helps&for&the&animal&dung&to&be&pounded&first.&& & 4)$If$there$is$a$slope,$plant$your$groundnut$so$that$the$rows$are$going$across$the$slope.&This&will&reduce& the&erosion&in&your&field,&which&can&wash&away&top&soil,&ferWlizer,&and&seeds,&and&can&bury&plants&in&sand.&& & 5)$Space$your$rows$30a40$cm$apart.$This&will&reduce&compeWWon&and&allow&the&groundnut&plants&room&to& Wller.&This&distance&is&slightly&more&than&the&length&of&your&foot.& & 6)$Weed$two$or$more$5mes$in$the$season.$Weeds&can&ruin&a&groundnut&field&and&need&to&be&managed.& Cous&seeds&can&also&be&introduced&with&the&husks&and&need&to&be&controlled.&&
Par5cipa5ng$Farmers:$ $
Babou&Nyass&(Kerr#Omar#Saine)# Badura&Jobe&(Njawara)# Mbaye&Drammeh&(Njawara)# Alhagie&Samba&Panneh#(Njawara)# Alhagie&Kebba&Marr&Sowe&(Kerrbono)# Saiku&Bay&(Jahaur#Mandinka)# Kambala&FaQy&(Jahaur#Mandinka)# Kumba&Yalong#(Jahaur#Mandinka)# Malam&Bayo&(Jahaur#Mandinka)# Wasa&Ndow#(Jahaur#Mandinka)# Jalleh&Njie&(Jagleh)# Hawa&Njie#(Jagleh)# Omar&Saitou&Salla#(Fass)# Omar&Sahan&Salla&(Fass)# Manu&Salla#(Fass)# Maji&Janneh&Salla&(Fass)# Alhagie&Seck#(Fass)#
These#experiments#were#supervised#by#Daniel#Dobasin#(Concern#Universal),#with#support#from#Jon#Eldon# (University#of#California),#Babou#Nyass#(NATC),#Abdoulie#Ndow#(AVISU),#and#Sorie#Darboe#(AVISU)#