Introduction

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.), also known as peanut, is one of the most important food and cash crops in Malawi. About one in every five farmers in Malawi grows groundnut. It is a principal source of digestible protein (25–34 %), cooking oil (44–56 %), and vitamins. It is therefore an important nutritional supplement to mainly cereal diets of many households in the country. In addition, as a legume, groundnut improves soil fertility by fixing nitrogen and thereby increasing productivity of other crops grown at the same time or in rotation on the same plot with groundnut. With a share of more than 25 % of agricultural income, groundnut is a significant source of income for most rural households in Malawi.

Despite its importance, groundnut production in Malawi is faced with numerous challenges, mainly:

Use of low-yielding seed varieties;
Low soil fertility and erosion leading to stunted growth;
Low amounts and irregular distribution of rainfall, which leads to poor yields; prolonged drought periods, which affect yield and also enhance aflatoxin contamination; and limited access to irrigation;
Poor insect pest and disease management;
Poor postharvest handling and management;
High aflatoxin contamination due to high exposure throughout the value chain.

Groundnut is grown in nearly all of Malawi’s 28 districts, but 70 % of the crop is grown in the Central Region. Yields are generally low at an average of 1000 kg per hectare for CG7 and Nsinjiro varieties, and 600 kg per hectare for Chalimbana. However, there is potential for much higher yields with good management practices; for example, CG7 can yield up to 2500 kilograms, Nsinjiro can yield 2000 kilograms, and Chalimbana can yield 1500 kilograms per hectare.

This training manual presents specific recommendations, which – when properly applied in their totality – can improve yields and income of groundnut farmers in Malawi.