Voandzeia subterraneaandCajanus cajanare important pulse crops in tropical and subtropical Africa and their drought hardiness and ability to utilize poor soils areinter aliareasons for this popularity. Both species hold considerable promise as crops in South Africa. The results of a pot trial and a field trial in which the responses of these two species to lime, phosphorus and potassium applications were compared with those ofVigna unguiculata, V. radiataandArachis hypogaeaare reported.The generally held belief that C.cajanis able to produce well with a minimum of fertilizer was confirmed in this investigation, particularly in the field trial where no yield responses to applications of lime, phosphorus and potassium could be measured on a rather poor soil.V. subterranea, on the other hand, responded better, particularly to lime application. Contrary to what is generally claimed in the literature, there was no indication thatV. subterraneais able to produce better than the common groundnut (A. hypogaea) at low levels of soil fertility. In fact, it has to be concluded from the results that this species is not as tolerant to acid soils as the common groundnut.S. Afr. J. Plant Soil1984, 1: 4–8