Macrotyloma geocarpum
| Macrotyloma geocarpum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Tribe: | Phaseoleae |
| Genus: | Macrotyloma |
| Species: | M. geocarpum |
| Binomial name | |
| Macrotyloma geocarpum (Harms) Maréchal and Baudet |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
M. geocarpa |
|
Macrotyloma geocarpum, also known as the geocarpa groundnut, Hausa groundnut, or Kersting's groundnut, is an herbaceous annual plant and a crop of minor economic importance in Sub-Saharan Africa, tolerant of drought, with a growth habit similar to that of the peanut.
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1,457 kJ (348 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 66.6 g |
| - Sugars | g |
| - Dietary fiber | 5.5 g |
| Fat | 1.1 g |
| - saturated | g |
| - monounsaturated | g |
| - polyunsaturated | g |
| Protein | 19.4 g |
| Thiamine (vit. B1) | 0.76 mg (66%) |
| Riboflavin (vit. B2) | 0.19 mg (16%) |
| Niacin (vit. B3) | 2.3 mg (15%) |
| Vitamin C | 0.0 mg (0%) |
| Calcium | 103 mg (10%) |
| Iron | 15 mg (115%) |
| Phosphorus | 392 mg (56%) |
| Potassium | 332 mg (7%) |
| Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. |
|
Yields of 500kg/ha in dry seed
source : Plant resources of tropical Africa. Cereals and pulses. Plant resources of tropical Africa (PROTA). Backhuys Publishers. Eds. Brink, Grubben, etc. 2006. ISBN 9057821702 p. 100. Cites Leung, Busson & Jardin 1968.
Early 20th century, west Africa:
Following the construction of the Nigerian railway system, which extended from Lagos in 1896 to Ibadan in 1900 and Kano in 1911, the Hausa of northern Nigeria became major producers of groundnuts. They surprised the British, who had expected the Hausa to turn to cotton production. However, the Hausa had sufficient agricultural expertise to realize cotton required more labor and the European prices offered for groundnuts were more attractive than those for cotton. "Within two years the peasant farmers of Hausaland were producing so many tonnes of groundnuts that the railway was unable to cope with the traffic. As a result, the European merchants in Kano had to stockpile sacks of groundnuts in the streets." (Shillington 338). This is a great example of the African initiative taken by peasant producers to adapt to a cash economy.
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