Farmers' management of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) diversity, their varietal preference traits and uses in Southern and Central Benin.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is one of the major oilseed legumes contributing to food security in Benin. Unfortunately, several constraints hamper its production leading to a low yield. A good knowledge of on-farm management of peanut diversity and uses that allow its maintenance in traditional Beninese agriculture are prerequisites to establish an efficient breeding programme. Therefore, this study aims to document peanut varietal diversity, folk nomenclature, seed system, storage constraints, pest management practices, varietal preference criteria, cultural taboos and uses in southern and central Benin. Two hundred and sixteen farmers were surveyed through 32 villages in southern and central Benin using rural appraisal tools. Fifty-four peanut local varieties grouped into eight morphotypes based on the seed characteristics were registered. The number of local varieties maintained per village ranged from 1 to 11 and varied between 1 and 4 per household. The drop in yield was the main reason of peanut varietal abandonment. Rodent attacks were the most important constraints of peanut production. Varietal preference criteria varied from ethnic groups with seed size and many pod/seeds per plant as the main preferred traits. Peanut seed system was mainly informal. To alleviate pest problems in stored peanut, producers used biocidal plants and synthetic chemicals. Some cultural taboos and various uses of peanuts have been recorded. Our results suggest that for boosting peanut production in central and southern Benin, breeders must create high-yielding peanut varieties. However, it is important to take into account the preference varietal criteria of each ethnic group for their adoption. For a good estimation of peanut diversity in the study area, morphological and molecular characterizations were recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]