Growth and Yield Performance of Groundnut ( Arachis hypogea L.) at Different Planting Dates in the Savannah Grassland Agro-Ecology of Sierra Leone
- 1 Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI), Magbosi Land Water and Environment Research Centre, Mile 91, Sierra Leone
- 2 Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI), Njala Agricultural Research Centre, Njala, Sierra Leone
- 3 Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI), Njala Agricultural Research Centre, Njala, Sierra Leone
- 4 Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI), Magbosi Land Water and Environment Research Centre, Mile 91, Sierra Leone
- 5 Department of Crop Science, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Njala University, Njala, Sierra Leone
- 6 Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Central University, Mile 91, Sierra Leone
Abstract
The experiment was conducted at the Magbosi Land Water and Environment Research Center (MLWERC) experimental site of Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI) in Mile 91. The objectives of this study were to determine the appropriate planting date for groundnut in the Savannah agroecology and to investigate the effect of different planting dates on some agronomic traits, yield, and yield components of the two farmers’ preferred local cultivars in the area. A split-plot arrangement in a randomized complete block design with three replicates was used. Planting dates were assigned to the main plots and genotypes to the sub-plots. Two local groundnut varieties (Senegal and Bandugu) were planted over four (4) dates at fourteen days intervals from 8 th May to 20 th June 2021 for the first planting season and from 14 th August to 25 th September 2021 for the second planting season. Plant height, number of leaflets per plant, number of pods/plots, dry groundnut biomass, fresh pod weight, dry pod weight, and pod yield (Kg/ha) were measured. Combined analysis of the two seasons showed that the yield produced was statistically significantly affected by the season (P < 0.001) planting date (P = 0.013) and planting date with season interaction (P = 0.003). The first season’s crop significantly had a significantly higher yield (48.5%) than the second planting. These results showed that the first season planting of groundnuts had a significantly higher yield than the second planting. Results revealed that both planting date and cropping season significantly influenced yield, with earlier planting and the first season producing higher yields. The number of pods per plant strongly correlated with total yield. The research showed that the optimum planting dates of groundnut are between 8 th May and 22 nd in the first cropping season and the 28 th of August to 11 th September during the second cropping season under rainfed conditions.
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