GROUNDNUT PACKAGE OF PRACTICES

May 24, 2025

Introduction

Groundnut (Arachis nypugueu L.) belongs to the family Leguminosae family. It is an annual plant that grows up to 30 to 60 cms in height. Among all the oilseed crops, groundnut accounts for more than 40 %, acreages, and 60 productions in the country. Groundnut is also known as peanut, earthnut, monkey nut, goober, pinda, and Manilla nut.

Nutritive Value of Groundnut

Among the oilseed crops, groundnut has first place in India. Groundnut oil has high importance in the manufacture of vegetable oil (vanaspati ghee). Groundnut seed contains about 45 % oil and 26 % protein Groundnut kernel as a whole is highly digestible.

Health Benefits of Using Groundnut/Peanut Oil

1) Peanut oil helps in weight loss
2) It improves sensitivity to insulin
3) It aids the hair growth
4) Peanut oil is an important anti-aging product
5) It restricts inflammatory problems like arthritis
6) Peanut oil is great for those who have cardiovascular problems
7) It provides you acne-free skin

Climatic Requirements for Groundnut Cultivation

Groundnut is essentially a tropical plant.
It requires a long and warm growing season.
The most favorable climatic conditions for groundnut are a well-distributed rainfall of at least 50 centimeters during the growing season, an abundance of sunshine, and relatively warm temperatures.
It seems that plant will grow best when the mean temperature is from 21-26.5°C.
Lower temperatures are not good for its proper development.
During the ripening period, requires about a month of warm and dry weather.

Soil Requirements for Groundnut Cultivation

Groundnut thrives best in well-drained sandy and sandy loam soils, as light soil helps in easy penetration of pegs and their development and also harvesting.
Clay or heavy soils are not suitable for this crop, as they interfere in the penetration of pegs and make harvesting quite difficult.
Groundnut gives good yields in the soil with a pH between 6.0-6.5.

Important Varieties of Groundnut

Groundnut has three types of varieties

Bunch types with erect plant habit
Spreading Types
Semi-spreading types.

The bunch types have light green foliage, comparatively broad leaflets, and mature early. However, they are usually susceptible to tikka disease.

The spreading usually has dark green foliage with smaller leaflets. These are usually late in maturity. The semi-spreading type varieties are just intermediate between the bunch and the spreading types.

Rotations and Mixed Cropping in Groundnut crops;

Groundnut is grown in rotation with wheat, gram, pea, barley, etc. It is grown as a mixed crop with bajra, maize, Jowar, Castor and cotton Groundnut can also be followed by safflower where early varieties are grown and moisture remains in the soil at the time of harvest

Field Preparation for the cultivation of Groundnut;

Although groundnut is a deep-rooted crop out looking to its underground pod forming habit, deep ploughing should be avoided.
Because deep ploughing encourages the development of pods in deeper layers of soil which makes harvesting difficult.
One ploughing with soil turning plough followed by two harrowings would be sufficient to achieve a good surface tilth up to 12-18 centimeter depth.
One or two summer cultivations will minimize weeds and insect pests to a great extent in problem areas.

Seed and Sowing;

a) Selection and Treatment of Seed ;

1) The quality of seeds is of utmost importance for establishing the optimum plant stand. Pods for seed purposes should be stored unshelled in a cool, dry, and ventilated place.

2) For seed purposes, pods should be shelled by hand one week before sowing.

3) Hand shelling ensures little damage to seeds.

4) Pods shelled long before sowing time are liable to suffer from loss of viability and storage damages.

5) Discard very small, shriveled, and diseased kernels. Only bold seeds should be used for sowing.
6) Treat the selected kernels with Thiram or Mancozeb @ 4 g/kg of seed or Carboxin or Carbendazim at 2 g/kg of seed to control the various seed and soil-borne diseases.

7) Seed should be inoculated with proper strain of Rhizobium culture particularly in those places where groundnut is to be grown for the first time.

b) Time of Sowing;

1) Sow the rainfed crop with the advent of monsoon in the last week of June or in the first week of July.

2) Complete the sowing as early as possible as delayed sowing causes a progressive reduction in the yield.

3) Where irrigation facilities are available, sow groundnut around 20th June or 10-12 days before the onset of monsoon with pre-sowing irrigation. This helps in the best utilization of monsoon by the crop because all the germination will take place before rains start which ultimately results in a higher yield. It will also help in getting the field vacated in time for the sowing of Rabi crops.

4) In the southern part of the country where groundnut is sown in the Rabi season also, it should be sown in the month of November and December

c) Seed Rate spacing and Method of Sowing ;

1) Seed Rate; Seed rate depends upon the spacing, Kernal Size, type of variety, etc. The recommended seed rate for groundnut are as follows;

a) For Spreading type variety; 80 -100 kg /hectare

b) For Bunching type variety; 100-125 Kg/hectare

2) Spacing;

Spreading Types Varieties ; 60 x 10 cms

Bunching Type Varieties ; 45 x 10 cms

3) Sowing Method; Sowing should be done about 5 centimeters deep behind the plough or with the help of a dibbler or seed planter. On a large scale, seed planters can be used.

Manure and Fertilizer Requirements in Groundnut Crop;

Just like the other legumes, groundnut meets the major part of its nitrogen requirement through nitrogen fixation.
However, in the application of 20-40 kg nitrogen per hectare as a starter dose is given to meet the nitrogen requirement of the crop in the initial stage in poor fertility soils.
If farmyard manure or compost is available, 10-15 tonnes may be added per hectare about 15-20 days before sowing.
If nitrogen is to be applied through fertilizers, prefer ammonium sulphate. It provides sulphur in addition to nitrogen.
The soil should be tested for the availability status of phosphorus and potassium and fertilizer recommendations for groundnut are obtained.
In the absence of a soil test, it would be advisable to apply about 50-60 kg P2O5, and about 30-40 kg K20 per hectare to meet the requirement of the crop. Phosphorus should be applied preferably through superphosphate.
The fertilizers should be placed at the time of sowing about 4-5 centimeters in the side of the seed and 4-5 centimeters below the seed level.
Calcium too has a pronounced effect on the proper development of pods and kernels. Therefore, care should be taken to ensure that soil has sufficient calcium. Apply gypsum at the rate of 125 kg per hectare.

Water Management in Groundnut Cultivation

1) Being a rainy season crop, groundnut does not require irrigation However, if a dry spell occurs, irrigation may become necessary.

2) One irrigation should be given at the pod development stage. The field should be well-drained.

3) In the southern part of the country where groundnut is grown in the Rabi season too, three to four irrigations are necessary.

4) Give the first irrigation at the start of flowering and the subsequent irrigations whenever required during the fruiting period to encourage peg penetration and pod development.

5) The last irrigation before harvesting will facilitate the full recovery of pods from the soil.

Weed Control and Earthing in Groundnut Cultivation;

1) Normally, one or two hand hoeings and weddings should be done depending upon soil type and severity of weed infestation.

2) The first hoeing should be done three weeks after sowing and the second, three weeks thereafter before the commencement of flowering.

3) Care should be taken that soil should not be distributed at the pod formation stage.

4) Chemical Control of weeds; Weeds can also be controlled effectively by the following application –

a) Pre-sowing Application; Fluchloralin at 2.0 l/ha soil applied and incorporated followed by light irrigation.

b) Pre-emergence Application; Fluchloralin 2.0 l/ha or Pendimethalin @ 3.3 l/ha applied on the third day after sowing through a flat-fan nozzle with 500 l of water/ha followed by irrigation. After 35 – 40 days hand weeding should be given.

c) Postemergence Application; Spray Imazethapyr @ 750 ml/ha at 20-30 days after sowing based on weed density..

5) The earthing up should also be taken up simultaneously with intercultural operations. The basic idea of earthing up is to promote easy penetration of pegs in the soil to provide more area to spread.

PEST MANAGEMENT:

1.Leaf minor

Scientific name: Aproaerema modicella

SYMPTOMS

Young larvae mine into the leaves and feed the leaflets.
Short brownish blotches on the leaflets.
Grown up larvae web the leaflets together, feed on tissues and form brown blister-like blotches.
In severe infestation, damaged leaflets roll, shrivel, dry up and gives a burnt appearance.

MANAGEMENT

ETL: 1 larva /meter row

Sow groundnut early and synchronously in rainy and rabi season.
Intercrop groundnut with pearl millet @ 4:1 ratio.
Set up light trap @ 1/ha between 8 and 11 PM at ground level.
Mulch the soil with straw within 10 days after germination wherever possible.
Avoid water stress in irrigated crop to avoid the pest infestation.
Maintain the fields and bunds free from weeds.
For effective control of Caterpillar in groundnut bio pesticide like “LARVEX 250 ml / acre” can be used.

2.Red hairy caterpillar

Scientific name: Amsacta albistriga and Amsacta moorei

SYMPTOMS

Young larvae scrap the undersurface of leaves and the leaves become papery.
Grown up larvae devour the entire foliage, leaving the main stem as the field grazed by cattle.

MANAGEMENT

Deep summer ploughing to destroy the pupa.
Early sowing to escape from pest damage.
Crop rotation with sorghum or pearl millet or maize will reduce pest infestation.
Irrigate the field to avoid prolonged mid-season drought to prevent infestation.
Install a light trap @ 1/ ha or bonfires immediately at the onset of rains to attract and kill the moths in endemic areas.
Collect and destroy egg masses and early instar larvae in the damaged fields.
Dig out a trench around the field to avoid the migration of caterpillars and kill them.
Conserve natural enemies viz., spiders,coccinellids, chrysopids, parasitoids Bracon and Chelonus spp., by intercropping with pigeon pea and mung bean.
For effective control of Caterpillar in groundnut bio pesticide like “LARVEX 250 ml / acre” can be used.

DISEASE MANAGEMENT:

1.Rosette disease

Causal organism - Groundnut rosette assistor virus (GRAV), Groundnut rosette virus and Groundnut rosette satellites

Vectors: Transmitted by aphid vector, Aphis craccivora and Aphis gossipii.

Symptoms

The affected plants are characterized by the appearance of dense clump or dwarf shoots with tuft of small leaves forming in a rosette fashion.
The plant exhibits chlorosis and mosaic mottling. The infected plants remain stunted and produce flowers, but only a few of the pegs may develop further to nuts but no seed formation.

Transmission

The primary source of spread by aphid vector,Aphis craccivora and Aphis gossipii in a persistent manner, retained by vector but not transmitted congenitally.
The virus is not transmitted by any other means like mechanical or seed or pollen. The virus can survive on the volunteer plants of groundnut and other weed hosts.

Disease Management

Inter cropping with sorghum or beans is effective in reducing the disease incidence as this confuses the aphids’ movement in the field.
Field sanitation is important.
Rogue out the infected plants periodically.
For effective control of vectors like aphids we can use bio pesticides like Dr.Eliminator 250ml/acre.

2.Groundnut Bud Necrosis

Causal organism: Groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV- Tospo virus)

Vectors: Transmitted by Thrips