A Detailed Guide to Selecting and Raising Inca Peanut (Sacha Inchi) Seeds

Inca peanut, also known as Sacha Inchi, Inca nut, and Incapeanut, is nutrient-rich and has beautifying, anti-wrinkle, and anti-aging effects, with no irritation and high safety, making it a good cosmetic raw material. So if you want to grow Inca peanut seeds, how do you select them? What seedling raising methods are there? Let's take a look below.

How to select Inca peanut seeds?

1. Purchasing channels

Inca peanut seeds can be purchased through a variety of channels; they are generally sold by seed vendors in various places, and can also be bought online. Buying from a physical store lets you select the seeds yourself, with quality well guaranteed, and even if there is a problem you can directly approach the seller to resolve it. Online shopping, because you cannot see the actual product, cannot guarantee quality as well, so the risk is greater; however, as long as you choose a reputable seller there is no problem.

2. Seed prices

Inca peanut seed prices on the market vary from high to low; there are expensive ones, and there are especially cheap ones too. When buying seeds, note that expensive does not mean good; those especially expensive seeds may have been marked up by the seller and may not necessarily be of very good quality. And overly cheap seeds are even less acceptable; such seeds are often of very poor quality with a low germination rate, causing the plants to grow poorly too, so pay attention when buying.

3. Seed selection

When buying Inca peanut seeds, we must select them carefully and meticulously, paying attention to seed quality. Choose seeds that are plump and intact; preferably new seeds harvested recently and well preserved, which will be more vigorous with a higher germination rate. Damaged, diseased, or old moldy seeds must not be used, as they will lead to extremely poor germination.

What seedling raising methods are there for Inca peanut?

1. Germination sand bed

Choose a plot with flat terrain, good ventilation, and convenient watering, and enclose it into a raised bed; fill the bed with clean river sand and cover it with a shade net providing 50%-70% shade. Soak the seeds in warm water at 40-50°C and let them cool naturally for 24 hours, then remove them and leave them ready for sowing.

2. Sowing for germination

Flatten the surface of the sand bed, then evenly scatter the seeds on top, and cover the seeds with a layer of sand 2-3 cm thick, sowing 1000-1500 grams per sq m.

3. Sand bed management

After sowing, water once with a 800-1000 times dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder; subsequent watering should be just enough to keep the sand bed moist. During the seed germination process, when a temperature drop occurs, set up a warm shed in time.

4. Bagging and transplanting seedlings

Fill nutrient bags with nutrient soil; the nutrient soil ratio is: 90% local soil, 5% organic fertilizer, 4% dragon's blood residue (or other loose substrate), and 1% calcium magnesium phosphate; after the seeds germinate for 15-25 days, transplant the seedlings into the nutrient bags, and water to moisten the substrate one day before transplanting.

5. Nursery plot management

After transplanting, the seedlings should be watered immediately and shaded with a 60%-80% shade net, with watering to keep the substrate moist. At one-week intervals, spray with a 1000 times dilution of 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder to prevent disease; during this period, according to the growth condition of the seedlings, apply a top dressing of dilute human manure or a nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizer, or use a foliar nutrient solution as a foliar top dressing. Watch for pests and diseases, especially damping-off and seedling blight; once damage occurs, spray with a 1500 times dilution of 50% lirukang wettable powder or a 800 times dilution of Lüheng No. 1 for control. When the seedlings reach 20 cm in growth, remove the shade net, and 10-15 days after removing the net, take them out of the nursery for field planting.

The above is an introduction to Inca peanut. As people pay more attention to maintenance and demand in the cosmetics industry increases, people value Inca peanut more, which has driven cultivation in many areas. If you want to grow Inca peanut, be sure to understand clearly whether your local area can cultivate it, so as to avoid poor survival rates from planting.

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