ASSESSMENT OF GROUNDNUT RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE SAVANNA REGIONS OF WEST-AFRICA .1.

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) research in West Africa was initiated in the 1920s and conducted on three major locations: Samaru, Nigeria; Bam bey, Senegal; and Niangoloko, Burkina Faso. Breeding led to selection of a number of productive varieties as regards drought tolerance, dise ase resistance, earliness, dormancy, and adaptation to the edible mark et demand. Long-term agronomy trials indicate that applying only miner al fertilizer will not prevent soil acidification by cation reduction, resulting in reduced yields. Maintaining the organic matter content o f the soil is essential if the reproducibility of a cropping system ba sed on alternating groundnut and cereals is to be ensured in the Sudan -Sahelian Zone. The phytosanitary problems in West Africa are becoming more acute as crop rotations become shorter and continuous cropping i s expanded. Research work is based on five major topics: emergence dis ease and pest protection - inexpensive and highly effective seed-dress ing treatments are applied; leaf disease control - rosette-resistant v arieties are available and integrated pest managements of rust (Puccin ia arachidis) and leaf spot (Phaeoisariopsis personata) diseases are b eing investigated; millipede (class: Diplopoda) control - emergence pr otection and the use of baits have been developed; aflatoxin control - preventive methods at the field level and corrective control at the i ndustrial level have been developed; and nematode control -a control m ethod was developed and applied full-scale in northern Senegal. For po st-harvest technology, current research is helping to develop processe s for more effective improvement of groundnut products. Disinfection o f stocks, refrigerated seed storage, and vacuum storage of seed have b een developed. Industrial production of ready-to-use seed will be unde rtaken in the near future in Senegal. Mixed research and development o perations are under way in different fields, notably seed and edible n ut production and processing. They enable researchers to follow closel y the requirements of the producer and consumer, and ensure the cohere nce and effectiveness of the program as a whole.