ANALYSIS OF YIELD OF LOCAL AND IMPROVED GROUNDNUT VARIETIES PROMOTED BY CENTER FOR DRYLAND AGRICULTURE (CDA) AVISA PROJECT IN KANO STATE

This study was conducted to analyze the yield of local and improved groundnut varieties, promoted by Center for Dryland Agriculture (CDA) AVISA project in Kano State. Using a purposive sampling technique, primary was collected from 78 smallholder farmers across four Local Government Areas Ajingi, Sumaila, Albasu, and Minjibir through structured questionnaires administered via the Kobo Collect platform. Analytical methods included descriptive statistics and an independent sample t-test. The study assessed the socioeconomic characteristics of farmers, yield differences between local and improved varieties, differences in characteristics, and adoption constraints. Results revealed that all respondents were male with a mean age of 41.9 years and average farming experience of 15.5 years. Most had attained tertiary education, and the mean farm size was 2.13 hectares. The improved varieties significantly outperformed local varieties in agronomic traits, with maturity periods ranging from 74.7 days (SAMNUT 24) to 97.5 days (SAMNUT 21), compared to 111.4 days for local types. These varieties also demonstrated resistance to pests, diseases, and Alectra, higher adaptability to local environments, better grain qualities (size and color), and superior oil content. Statistical analysis revealed a significantly higher mean yield for improved varieties (29.06 kg) compared to local ones (24.36 kg), with a pvalue of 0.0000286. However, challenges hindering adoption include high seed costs, limited access to quality inputs, poor haulm quality due to early maturity, and harvesting during the rainy season. The study concludes that the improved varieties offer considerable potential to boost groundnut productivity and income for farmers in northern Nigeria. It recommends strengthening seed systems, improving extension services, subsidizing farm inputs, and encouraging timely planting to maximize the benefits of these improved varieties.