A Global Mapping System for Bambara Groundnut Production of the FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS FAO Agricultural Information Management Series No. 1

Sayed Azam-Ali University of Nottingham United Kingdom José Aguilar-Manjarrez Waicent-FAO Rome, Italy Mohammad Bannayan-Avval University of Nottingham United Kingdom

"This report describes an approach to assess locations and areal expenses that have potential for the production of bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) across the world. The methodology was applied both to regions such as Africa, where the crop is widely cultivated but where experimental evidence is limited, and to new regions that have not previously been associated with bambara groundnut but where environmental factors are conductive for productive growth.

A weather generator and a crop simulation model of bambara groundnut (BAMnut) were incorporated into a Geographical Information System (GIS) to predict, for the first time, bambara groundnut production for the world. BAMnut is a process-based model that uses physiological principles to describe the capture and use of environmental resources principally solar radiation and soil moisture. This mechanistic approach allows crop growth and yield to be predicted for regions beyond those used in the development of the model or regions where bambara groundnut is currently cultivated.

The preliminary identification of potentially suitable areas for production,based on the agro-ecological requirements of the crop, serve as a useful prelude to detailed field investigations on bambara groundnut to identify appropriate management prectices and may provide a basis for a similar assessment on many other underutilized crops."

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Abbreviations

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Overview

Background

Bambara Groundnut

Simulation Models

Experimental Data

MATERIALS AND METHODS

BAMnut - A Simulation Model for Bambara Groundnut

• BAMnut Description
• Radiation Limited Growth (LLG)
• Water Limited Growth (WLG)
• Transpiration Equivalent
• Model Evaluation
• Incorporating BAMnut into a GIS

Inputs to BAMnut Model - Weather Data

• Adaptations to Weather Generator

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Outputs from BAMnut Model - Crop Biomass and POD Yields

Evaluation

CONCLUSIONS

Interpretation of Bambara Groundnut Potential Production

Study Refinements

Future Applications

APPENDIX

Hardware and Software

World Weather Database

• World Weather Data Selection and Extraction
• Standardising the Database
• Summary Statistics of Climate Dta Used as Inputs to BAMnut

World Weather Generator

• Settings Created as Entries for the Daily Data Weather Generator

Statistics of Outputs from BAMnut

• Converting Grids to an Equal-Area Projection
• Adjusting and Standardising the Projection

GRID Outputs

• Postscript Files

REFERENCES

The desigantions employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

ISBN 00-0-000000-0

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