Cooperating countries: Ethiopia, Kenya and Austria

Coordinating institution: Haramaya University, Ethiopia

Project coordinator: Dr. Miriam Karwitha Charimbu

Partner institution: Egerton University-Kenya, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)

Project duration: 01.06.2024 - 31.05.2027

Peanut is an important food and oil crops known globally for its multifarious uses including income generation, human and animal consumption, and soil fertility improvement. It has an important nutritional value as source of protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins for combating malnutrition in children. Globally, peanut is cultivated on 32.72 million ha with total production of 53.93 million tons. In Ethiopia, it is produced by smallholder farmers as food and cash crop. The eastern part of the country is contributing large to the national production. Recently, the production and productivity are hampered by the newly emerged parasitic yellow witchweed (Alectra vogelii). In Kenya, peanut is ranked as the 4^th most suitable legume crop after beans, soya, and cowpeas and cultivated in the semi-arid areas. A. vogelii is one of the most harmful parasitic weeds of legumes affecting also peanuts and causing severe yield reduction in Africa. This weed is native to Kenya and Ethiopia infecting peanut. Though farmers have employed various strategies from hand-weeding to chemical application to manage A. vogelii, however, most of the strategies are ineffective. Hence, breeding with farmers and promoting utilization of resistant/tolerant peanut genotypes is one of the sustainable long-term and economically benign methods of A. vogelii control. Moreover, assessing the distribution, diversity and economic loss due to A. vogelii and developing integrated management practices for sustainable peanut production in Eastern Africa is important for food security.