When is the best time to plant black peanuts? A detailed guide to growing methods

Black peanut, also known as selenium-enriched black peanut, is a specialty product of Hebei, containing rich amino acids, calcium, iron, potassium and other trace elements. It is very popular among people, but because its growing conditions are demanding, if you want to grow it, you must master the planting time well. So when is the best time to plant black peanuts? How to plant them?

To determine the sowing time of black peanuts, use the 10 cm soil temperature to decide. Generally, sowing can be done when the 10 cm soil temperature steadily passes 12°C, and it is best to sow when the 10 cm soil temperature steadily remains above 15°C.

In the southern double-cropping peanut region of spring and autumn, the suitable sowing period is from February to mid-March; in the spring-summer peanut rotation region of the Yangtze River Basin, the suitable sowing period is from March to late April; in the northern black peanut region and peanut production areas, the suitable sowing period is mostly from late April to early May. Peanut germination temperatures: the pearl pod type and multi-seed type can germinate above 12°C, while the common type and dragon-born type can only germinate above 15°C, so their sowing period is slightly later.

How to plant?

1. Soil selection

Sowing spring black peanuts at the suitable time can improve the utilization rate of land and light energy, make the plants grow short and sturdy, with dense internodes, more branches, good root growth, more dry matter accumulation, more flowers and pods, and a high rate of full pods, making it easy to meet the requirements of high yield and good quality. If sown too early, because the temperature is low, the seeds cannot germinate normally, emergence is slow, the chance of soil-borne diseases and insect pests increases, the emergence rate is low, the seedlings grow poorly, and flower bud differentiation and development are affected; but if sown too late, in southern production areas under high temperature and rainy conditions, peanuts are prone to excessive growth and lodging, with few pods; peanuts in the central and northern regions, especially the common type, often encounter autumn drought and low temperature during the pod-setting and maturing period, affecting pod development and nutrient accumulation, resulting in low full-pod rate, kernel outturn rate, and oil content, thus reducing yield and quality.

2. Variety selection

In terms of variety selection, excellent variety types and varieties should be reasonably chosen according to market demand, cultivation method, sowing date, and other factors. In many regions, peanuts are saved for seed year after year, and their traits seriously degenerate, so black peanut seeds should still be properly replaced. Seed selection should suit local conditions, mainly using local varieties; varieties from other regions can be properly trial-planted first, then introduced.

Good seed is the internal cause of increased yield, and selecting good seed is the foundation of increased yield. When selecting seeds, choose large, plump ones as seed. It is advisable to choose varieties with strong resistance, suitable for dense planting, and with stable and high yield.

3. Seed treatment

Fully sun-drying the pods before sowing can break seed dormancy, improve physiological activity, increase water absorption capacity, enhance germination vigor, and raise the germination rate.

Generally, sun-dry the pods for 2-3 days before sowing, then shell them after drying. At the same time, select large, plump, uniformly sized kernels with bright seed coats as seed. Do not sow mixed large and small kernels, so as to avoid the coexistence of large and small seedlings, where large seedlings suppress small ones and cause reduced yield. According to experiments, sowing first-grade kernels increased yield by more than 20% compared with sowing mixed kernels, and sowing second-grade kernels increased yield by more than 10% compared with sowing mixed kernels.

Do a germination test before sowing. Ensure the use of seeds with strong germination vigor and a high germination rate, so as to facilitate fast and uniform emergence.

Seed coating has become an important means of seed protection worldwide. At present in China, after nearly ten years of promotion on peanuts, it has become a mature technology and the most labor-saving and simplest way to control underground pests of peanuts and seedling-stage diseases. Before sowing, use per mu 30 ml Gaoxiao (60% imidacloprid seed coating agent) + 25 ml Shileshi (2.5% fludioxonil) + 250 ml water, or 30 ml Gaoxiao (60% imidacloprid seed dressing agent) + 40 ml Weifu (20% carboxin + 20% thiram) + 250 ml water to dress the seeds, which can effectively control soil-borne diseases (root rot, stem rot, etc.) and underground pests. Dry and then sow.

4. Seed dressing fertilizer

Seed dressing fertilizer, the latest foreign technology, is a major magic weapon for increasing peanut yield. It can be mixed with regular seed dressing agents. Various nutrient elements enter the seed interior directly 30 minutes after seed dressing, eliminating seed differences, with extremely high cost performance. Its effects on peanuts are as follows:

Comprehensively supplement phosphorus and other elements needed by peanut seeds. With BSN technology, nutrients enter the seed interior 30 minutes after seed dressing, eliminating seed differences and producing uniform and strong seedlings;

Sufficient nutrition improves the seeds' ability to resist harsh weather such as low temperature and high humidity;

Balanced nutrition eliminates yellowing symptoms caused by element deficiency, regulates seedling-stage growth, prevents excessive seedling growth, but makes the root system very developed, laying the foundation for the middle and late stages;

Uniform and strong seedlings, deep main roots, developed fibrous roots, enhanced disease resistance, and strong water and fertilizer absorption capacity;

The first and second pairs of lateral branches of peanuts develop robustly, stimulating flower bud differentiation and prolonging the flowering period;

The plants are robust without excessive growth, and fruit branches and pegs increase; they do not senesce early or shed leaves, with many fruits, large fruits, and full fruits.

5. Sowing depth and density

When sowing, pay attention to reasonable dense planting. For large peanuts, generally about 8000-10000 holes per mu; for small peanuts, generally about 10000-12000 holes per mu, with two seeds per hole being appropriate. Methods such as digging holes for spot sowing, trenching for hole sowing, or mechanical sowing can be used.

Sowing depth: sowing depth and timely soil covering are one of the key measures for full stands of peanuts. The sowing depth should be 5 cm as appropriate (referring to the depth of the furrow, not the depth of soil covering). The specific situation should also be flexibly controlled according to soil texture and moisture conditions, that is, for clay soil with good moisture, it can be slightly shallower, but not shallower than 3 cm; for sandy soil with poor moisture, it should be appropriately deeper.

Compacting after sowing: after sowing, also pay attention to consistent soil covering depth and timely compacting. Especially in dry and windy places, compacting should be carried out even more to prevent air movement and moisture loss in the sowing layer, which would cause seeds to dry out and seedlings to be missing. The time of compacting depends on soil moisture. If moisture is poor, compact immediately; if moisture is good and there is much soil water, wait until the surface water has dissipated and there is a layer of dry soil before compacting.