Cultivation constrains of Bambara groundnut in Sub-Saharan Africa: Impact of Rhizobial Inoculants

Abstract Background The Sub-Saharan African food system is facing multiple threats, including soil nutrient depletion, monoculture cereal farming, population expansion, and climate change. These factors collectively pose a risk to agricultural productivity and food security in the region. Scope Bambara groundnut (BGN) (Vigna subterranea [L.] Verdc) yield has been in decline due to various abiotic factors such as high temperature, drought, and salinity, as well as biotic factors like nitrogen-fixing symbiont host specificity. These challenges have negatively impacted crop productivity and food security. This review highlights the significance of BGN in addressing food insecurity and explores its potential advantages for small-scale farmers. BGN provides a good example for strong effects of the microbiome, particularly specific symbionts for nitrogen-fixing root nodules, on production systems. A focus of this review is to highlight the potential applications of nitrogen-fixing symbionts as biofertilizers for Bambara groundnut. Conclusion The review emphasizes the potential of BGN to improve agricultural production and soil fertility, particularly using inoculation technology, which could benefit small-scale farmers and contribute to enhancing food security. Bradyrhizobium inoculants may have to be designed specifically for the cultivar level of BGN.