Groundnut Farming Tips Planting; Care; Harvesting

Groundnut Farming Tips Planting; Care; Harvesting

Suitable Soil for growing Groundnuts:

The ideal soil for growing groundnuts is well-drained sandy loam or sandy clay loam. Groundnuts grow best in deep, well-drained soils with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0 and high fertility. The ideal soil temperature for peanut germination is 30°C. Low temperatures during sowing hinder germination and promote infections in seeds and seedlings. Before beginning to grow groundnuts, a soil test must be conducted.

Manure Application in Groundnut production:

Application of 10 to 12 t ha-1 of chicken manure or 20 t ha-1 of thoroughly decomposed farmyard manure should be utilised and finished at least one month prior to sowing in groundnut farming. This needs to be incorporated into the soil to enhance soil structure and promote healthy plant growth.

Sowing procedure of Groundnut:

1. Groundnut sowing during the rainy season starts with the onset of the rains, usually by the 3rd week of June.
2. Examine the soil before sowing for optimum moisture content after rainfall or give presowing irrigation to make sure good germination.
3. At the time of sowing, place the seed at 5-6 cm depth in the soil. Compact the soil around the seed to ensure there is firm contact with soil moisture for rapid and uniform germination. Use of a seed drill with packing wheels is useful to ensure uniform germination.
4. When sowing manually, make sure that plots in each block are completed by the same person to reduce within-block variation due to uneven sowing caused by human differences.

climate and soil 

Climate factors like temperature and precipitation have a big impact on how much groundnuts are produced. The rate of crop development is significantly influenced by temperature, among other environmental factors. For the best yield and quality of the groundnut seed, adequate and evenly distributed rainfall is required throughout the growth season, especially during the flowering, pegging, and pod formation stages. A 600- to 1500-mm rainfall range is required for the growth of groundnuts.

Well-drained sandy loam or sandy clay loam soils are best for growing groundnuts. The best soils for growing groundnuts have a pH between 6.5-7, high fertility, and are deep and well-drained.

land preparation 

Timely field preparation facilitates timely sowing, which ensures higher yield.

Land preparation should ensure that all crop residues, crop volunteers and weeds are completely buried. Summer ploughing is advantageous to kill the weed seeds, hibernating insects and disease causing organisms, by exposing them to the heat of summer

seed rate and spacing 

Seed rates of 32–40 kg/ac are followed for bunchy type varieties and lower rates of 24–32 kg/ac are adopted for spreading types. Sowing should be done about 5 cm deep behind the plough or with the help of a dibbler or seed planter. The spacing also varies accordingly with row to row distance of 30–40 cm in bunchy types and 45–60 cm for spreading varieties. Plant to plant distance would be 15 cm for bunch and and 20 cm for spreading types.

operation 

To control weeds and keep the soil in a friable condition, soil is hoed once or twice in the first one or two months. No intercultural operations are to be done after the pegs have commenced going underground.

crop nutrition management 

Groundnut farmers generally apply NPK fertilisers to the groundnut crop. However, it has been observed that application of secondary and micronutrients help in meeting the ground crop nutrition requirements in a better manner, enhancing the yield and quality of groundnut crop. Accordingly, fertiliser schedules have been designed and recommended for soil and foliar applications.

Groundnut needs special attention with regards to its nutritional requirements. Farmers should apply required quantities of macro, secondary and micronutrients for better crop growth and higher yield and sugar recovery. Deficiencies of N, P, K, S, Mg, Fe, Zinc and Boron are often noticed in sugarcane plantations. Hence, it is important that these nutrients are appropriately supplied through application of right fertilisers at right time.

nutrition crop required 

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulphur, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper and Boron

irrigation management 

Irrigation is critical during pegging, flowering and pod development phases, when adequate soil moisture is essential.

weed management 

Weeds

Groundnut is a crop widely grown in light soils where the weed menace varies from region to region. In sandy soils, the grassy weed infestation is more compared to BLWs, while in Red soils the BLWs are a major problem.

Weed Management

• Pre-sowing soil application of Fluchloralin (0.8 l/ac) or pre-emergence application of Fluchloralin (0.8 l/ac) or Pendimethalin (3.3 l/ha) on the third day after sowing, followed by irrigation.
• Spray application of Imazethapyr (300 ml/ac) as a post emergence spray, 20–30 days after sowing, based on weed density
• In case weeds are present at later stage of crop development, any post-emergence herbicide like Acifluorfen 16.5% with Sodium cladinofop 88% EC (400 ml/ac) or Imazethapyr 3.75% with Propaquizafop 2.5% (800 ml/ac) or Fomesafen with Quizalofop EC (400 ml/ac) may be applied

pest management 

1. Gram pod borer Management
   • Deep summer ploughing & intercropping one row of redgram for every 5 or 6 rows of groundnut
   • Install pheromone trap @ 5/ha
   • Spraying of insecticides like Quinolphos 2 ml/lit of water or Chloropyriphos 3ml/lit of water or Rynaxypyr 185 SC @ 60 ml/ac or Flubendamide 480 SC @ 40 ml/ac or Novaluron 10% EC @ 250 ml/ac or Emamectin benzoate 5% SG @ 50 g/ac or (Novaluron + Indoxacarb) SC @ 350 ml/ac
2. Tobacco caterpillar Management
   • Grow castor as border or intercrop in groundnut fields to serve as indicator or trap crop
   • Collect egg masses and destroy
   • Spraying of insecticides to control the early instar (1st to 3rd instar) larvae Carbaryl 50 WP 2.0 kg/ha or Quinalphos 25 EC 750 ml/ha or Rynaxypyr 185 SC @ 60 ml/ac or Flubendamide 480 SC- 40 ml/ac or Novaluron 10% EC- 250 ml/ac or Emamectin benzoate 5% SG- 50 g/ac or (Novaluron + Indoxacarb) SC @ 350 ml/ac.

plant diseases management 

1. Rust disease management
   Spraying of Mancozeb @0.4 kg/acre or Chlorothalonil @ 0.4 kg/acre or Wettable sulphur @ 1 kg /acre or Tridemorph @ 200 ml/acre
2. Management of early leaf spot disease
   Spraying of fungicides like Carbendazim @ 200 g/acre or Mancozeb @ 400 g/acre or Chlorothalonil @ 400 g/acre

harvesting 

Drying and falling of older leaves and yellowing of the top leaves indicates maturity. Pull out a few plants at random and shell the pods. If the inner shell is brownish black and not white, then the crop has matured. If the soil is dry irrigate prior to harvest, as this will facilitate easy harvesting.