Growing Groundnut in Ghana

Why groundnut earns its place on a mixed farm

A bag of groundnuts that smells musty at the market is usually a drying problem, not a variety problem. That is the first thing I would tell a farmer who asks why his nuts keep failing the buyer's smell test. The crop itself is forgiving and useful. The trouble comes in the last two weeks, when the pods are lifted, dried and stored.

Groundnut gives four things on one field. The nuts feed the family and sell in the market. The roots carry nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which leave the soil richer for the next cereal. The haulm, the leafy stems left after picking, feeds goats and sheep through the dry season. The pressed cake, once it is sound, can go into a feed ration. Few other crops in the north give that much from one plot.

The risk is that groundnut is also one of the most aflatoxin-prone crops in the country. Keep that in mind through every stage in this article, and read the aflatoxin section carefully before you sell or feed anything from the store.

Soil, rain and the groundnut zone

Groundnut likes a light, well-drained soil that the pods can push through. Sandy loam is ideal, and heavy clay that cracks in the dry season makes pegging and harvest hard. The crop does not tolerate waterlogging. A field that sits under water after a storm will rot the nuts and invite disease, so keep groundnut off hollows and the foot of slopes.

In Ghana, groundnut is grown most widely in the northern half of the country, from the Northern Region up to the Upper West, and across the transition belt further south. It fits the Guinea and Sudan savanna because the crop matures in a single rainy season and handles the heat. Where the rains are short, choose an early variety. Where the season is longer, you can afford a later type with more yield potential, provided the pods can be dried before the harmattan.

Keep a rotation plan in the field notebook. The cereal that follows groundnut often does well, and the field stays cleaner for the next groundnut crop.

Varieties to ask about before you buy seed

Groundnut varieties differ in duration, yield, pod size, oil content and disease tolerance. Ask CSIR-SARI and your district agric officer which types they are recommending for your zone this season, and check the answer against the current list. A variety name on a bag tells you little on its own. Ask for the duration, the pod type and the disease rating before you plant.

Bunch types grow upright and form pods close to the stem. They are easier to manage on a small plot, weed more simply and dry in a tidy stack. Runner types spread along the ground and need more room, but they can carry more pods on a longer season. Many northern farmers prefer bunch types because the labour and the drying are simpler, and the choice is worth making on the basis of your land and your season.

Ask the buyer or cooperative which pod sizes they take before you plant a big block. Some markets pay for particular pod sizes and kernel colours. A field of mixed seed gives mixed grades, and mixed grades sell for less.

Saved seed is risky for groundnut

Groundnut seed kept for the next season carries disease and sometimes aflatoxin spores, and it degrades quickly in warm, humid storage. Renew seed from a trusted source every few seasons. If you do save, pick the best pods from the healthiest plants, dry them fast, and store them shelled in an airtight container away from damp.

Shelling, seed treatment and sowing

Shell the seed just before you plant it. Shelled kernels that sit for weeks in a bag lose vigour, and a germination test on the morning of sowing tells you whether the seed is still good. Shell by hand or with a sheller, and sort out broken, shrivelled and discoloured kernels. Plant only the sound, plump seed.

Sow after two or three steady rains, when the soil is wet to a few centimetres. Groundnut needs warm, moist soil to germinate, and sowing into a dry seedbed leads to patchy emergence. Plant two seeds per hole, at a shallow depth of three to five centimetres, and thin to the strongest plant later if both come up. The variety pack and the district office will give you the spacing for your seed. Rows about 50 centimetres apart with plants about 15 centimetres apart in the row is a common starting point for bunch types.

Seed treatment is available for groundnut, and your seed supplier or extension officer can advise on the product and the process for your area. Follow the label, keep the treated seed away from children, animals and food, and keep the empty packets out of the field.

1. Shell the seed just before planting, and sort out damaged kernels.
2. Test germination on the morning of sowing.
3. Sow after two or three steady rains, two seeds per hole.
4. Replant gaps within the first week.

Groundnut rosette, leaf spot and the aphids that carry them

Groundnut rosette is the disease that frightens northern growers most, and it earns that fear. The virus causes plants to stunt and to show a crowded, rosette-like cluster of small leaves. Aphids carry it from plant to plant, and a field planted late, close to an infected field or next to a seasonal crop of alternative hosts, can lose a large share of its plants. Plant early when the rains settle, pull out the stunted plants as soon as you see them, and choose varieties recorded as tolerant.

Leaf spot is the common fungal disease, and it appears as dark spots on the leaves that spread and cause early leaf drop. A field with heavy leaf spot loses yield because the plant has less leaf area to fill the pods. Choose a variety with better tolerance, space the plants so the air can move, keep the field weed-free and rotate the crop. Follow your extension officer on any fungicide, read the label and respect the pre-harvest interval, because the haulm goes to animals.

Scout the field every week from the second week after emergence. Walk the rows, look at the undersides of the leaves and count the rosette plants in a few spots across the field. A count taken across the field shows whether the problem is spreading, and it helps you decide early whether to pull the field or treat it.

Termites, thrips and the soil pests

Termites are the pest that surprises new groundnut growers. In a dry spell they attack the pods and the roots, and a field that looked fine at mid-season can thin out in a fortnight. Sandy soil with little organic matter is the most exposed. Keep the field clear of old crop debris where the termites nest, avoid planting late when the rains are fading, and use the manure and mulch you have to build the soil up over time.

Thrips and aphids feed on the young leaves and the flowers, and their damage shows as silvered, distorted leaves. Leafminers tunnel inside the leaves and leave pale trails. Most of these pests are kept in check by a timely planting, a clean field and the natural enemies that come with a diverse farm, so do not spray the whole field just because one row looks poor.

Look for the pests first, then decide. Dig up a few plants, check the pods and the roots, and look for signs of termites, larvae or damage. A short walk with a clear question is far more useful than a routine spray.

Weeding without damaging the pegs

Groundnut is unusual because it sets pods underground. After the flowers are pollinated, the flower stalk, called a peg, bends down and pushes into the soil, and the pod develops at the tip. Any disturbance to the soil around the pegs can snap them, or leave the pods to rot. That is why the weeding plan for groundnut is different from the plan for maize or cowpea.

Weed early and by hand or with a light hoe in the first four to six weeks, while the plants are small. Keep the weeds out of the rows, and go gently between them. Once the pegs begin to enter the soil, stop hoeing deeply. Pull any weeds by hand and leave the soil around the plant undisturbed. A field that is weeded properly in the first month rarely needs deep work later.

Mulch helps where you have it. Dry crop residue or grass laid around the plants cuts the weeds, keeps the soil moist and protects the pegs as they enter. Keep the mulch thin around the plants, and clear it away from the centre of the row where the pegs must go.

Harvest timing: read the pods, not the calendar

Most bunch varieties mature in roughly 90 to 120 days from sowing, but the calendar lies. A late-planted field can take longer than an early one, and a dry spell can bring the crop forward. The surest guide is the pods. Lift a few plants from different parts of the field, open the pods and look at the inside of the shell. When the veins inside are dark and the seeds fill the pod, the crop is ready.

Lift the whole plant with a fork or a hoe when the field is moist enough to loosen the soil. Shake off the earth, then stand or lay the plants in small heaps with the pods facing up. Leave them for two or three days, enough for the pods to dry without shattering. Then strip the pods, or turn the plants onto a clean sheet so you can pick them off.

Harvest in dry weather if you can. Rain on drying pods causes sprouting and mould, and a long wet spell after lifting can ruin the whole lot. Plan the harvest for the driest window in your district, and do not leave the lifted plants on the field for weeks.

1. Open sample pods from several parts of the field to check maturity.
2. Lift the plants when the soil is moist enough to loosen.
3. Dry the plants upright for two or three days.
4. Strip, sort and dry the pods again before storage.

Drying and aflatoxin: the part that ruins a good crop

Aflatoxin is a toxin produced by the Aspergillus fungus, and it grows on groundnut and other grains when the crop is stressed, damaged or left damp. Drought during the late pod-filling stage, insect damage, delayed harvest and slow drying all raise the risk. In the store, damp floors and wet sacks can keep the mould going. Aflatoxin is dangerous for people and for animals, and birds are especially sensitive to it, which is why the poultry side of the farm has to be careful with groundnut products.

You cannot see aflatoxin, and a visibly sound nut can carry it, so the controls are about process. Dry the pods fast after lifting, in the sun and on clean ground, until the kernels are hard and the pods rattle. Aim for a moisture level around 7 to 8 per cent before storage, and use a meter if you can. Sort out the damaged, shrivelled, discoloured and mouldy pods by hand before you bag them. Discard them, and do not feed them to birds or animals.

If a buyer or a cooperative tests the lot, accept the result and learn from it. A test is cheaper than a flock that stops laying. For the poultry-specific risk, read our aflatoxicosis in poultry guide before you put any home-grown groundnut product into a ration.

Haulm: fodder for goats and sheep

Groundnut haulm is some of the best dry-season fodder a northern farmer can make. The leaves are rich in protein and the stems are palatable, and goats and sheep eat them readily. Harvest the haulm when the pods are lifted, dry it properly and store it under cover. Haulm that goes into the rain or sits in a damp heap turns mouldy, and mouldy haulm can carry toxins that harm goats and sheep just as they harm birds.

Dry the haulm on a clean, raised surface for several days, turning it once. Stack it under a roof or a sheltered raised platform, and cover the top to shed rain. Store it away from damp walls and away from the floor. Check the stack every few weeks for heat and smell. A stack that smells sweet and musty is not safe to feed.

Haulm is a useful feed in its own right, and for more detail on feeding it to birds, our groundnut haulm for poultry guide sets out what a flock can take. The point to remember is that haulm is a fodder crop, not a substitute for a balanced ration.

Groundnut cake, meal and the poultry ration

Groundnut cake is what remains after the oil is pressed from the nuts. It is a valuable protein ingredient, and it is widely used in poultry and pig rations. The quality depends on the nuts that went into the press, the pressing process and the storage afterwards. A cake pressed from mouldy nuts carries aflatoxin, and the toxin does not go away in the pressing. That is why the source and the test matter more than the price.

Ask the supplier where the nuts came from, how they were dried and whether the cake has been tested. Keep each lot separate, store it dry and check the smell and colour before it goes into the mix. Use a small test batch on a few birds before a full switch, and watch them for appetite, growth and egg output.

The cake sits in a broader ration with other protein sources. Our soya and groundnut cake guide compares the two, and the feed formulation basics show how the protein fits the bird's needs. Where your flock is small, the simplest route is a complete commercial starter or grower ration, and then your own cake only as a supplement you have tested.

If you want a flock to go with your groundnut field, start with the birds. Our day-old chicks page lists what is available, and the order form lets you reserve them in a few minutes.

Groundnut calendar for the north and the transition

This sequence fits a bunch groundnut crop in the north. The harvest rows matter most, because the drying has to finish before the harmattan's dust arrives.

In the south the timing shifts, especially in the minor season, so ask the district office for the local dates first.

A checklist for the whole season

Work through this list before the first seed goes in, and again before you bag the harvest. The aflatoxin points are the ones most often skipped, and they matter most to the poultry side.

• Confirm the variety, its duration and its disease rating for your zone.
• Shell only the sound seed, and test its germination on sowing day.
• Check the rotation history, and avoid groundnut on the same field two seasons running.
• Keep groundnut off hollows and low ground.
• Scout the field for rosette, leaf spot and termites every week.
• Stop deep hoeing once the pegs enter the soil.
• Sample the pods for maturity before lifting.
• Dry the pods fast and dry them again after stripping.
• Sort out damaged, discoloured and mouldy pods before storage.
• Store airtight and dry, on pallets, and check the bags every few weeks.

Keep the list with your field notes, and tick the boxes you missed so you can fix them next season.

Who to ask, and what the buyer will want

For groundnut, the buyer often gives the most useful advice. Ask the nut buyers and cooperatives what grade, moisture and pod condition they accept, and whether they test for aflatoxin. Their answer tells you how hard to dry and how hard to sort.

Your district agric officer is the person to ask about rosette and leaf spot in your area this season, and about the varieties with the best local record. CSIR-SARI in Nyankpala is the check on any seed a dealer brings you.

If you plan to sell processed cake or oil, ask the Ghana Standards Authority which product standards apply before you put anything on the market. Standards move, so check the current requirements instead of working from memory.

For credit, GIRSAL works with banks to share the risk of agricultural lending, and your district assembly can point you to local schemes. Ask what a lender expects if disease or drought takes the crop, and plan the repayment across more than one income.

A groundnut field and a poultry flock fit together well on a northern farm. The nuts, haulm and cake each have a place, and the birds turn surplus into steady cash. Start with the breeds page when you choose birds, and read partner with us to see how we work with growers. You can reach our team on WhatsApp at +233 24 915 1503.

For the other crops that sit beside groundnut in a rotation, read our guides to cowpea and beans and cassava from planting to harvest. Each one brings a different stage of the rotation and a different harvest window.

Questions farmers ask