How to Grow Peanuts: A Guide to Growing This Common Food
Peanuts are a very common food in our daily lives, and many people have eaten them. They are not only highly nutritious but also widely used. They can be eaten directly or used as an ingredient, as well as for oil and feed, among other uses. Market demand is large and the growing prospects are good, so many growers want to plant them. So how do you grow peanuts?
1. Leveling the Land
The peanut is a cash crop that flowers above ground, forms pegs, and then burrows into the soil to set fruit. It is suitable for planting in loose sandy soil or loamy sand. In addition, the peanut plot should be deep-plowed together with 30-40 tons of high-quality farmyard manure per hectare, then rolled 1-2 times after plowing. Where conditions allow, irrigation can be applied first, then farmyard manure and chemical fertilizer mixed and applied into the furrows, followed by ridging and rolling so the field is ready for timely sowing.
2. Choosing Varieties
For high peanut yields, good seed is the foundation. Suitable peanut varieties mainly include the Fuhua series and the Silihong variety, with a growth period of about 110-120 days. In addition, pods that are uniform in shape, large and plump, and unbroken can be selected as seed. Before shelling, they should be sun-dried for 1-3 days, then further selected so that seeds with pure color and uniform shape are used for planting.
3. Scientific Fertilization
When planting peanuts, fertilization should be based mainly on base fertilizer. The application method is roughly 30 tons of farmyard manure per hectare and 300-400 jin of diammonium phosphate chemical fertilizer per hectare. If peanuts are planted on poor, thin land, an additional 200-300 jin of urea should be applied per hectare.
4. Replanting and Thinning
From late May to early June, seedling condition surveys should be carried out as early as possible. After peanut seedlings emerge, seedling checks should be done promptly, and for fields with obvious gaps, replanting should be done early by the method of sprouting seeds and watering at planting. Thinning and final stand establishment should be completed so that the number of seedlings per unit area reaches the planned requirement. This work is generally carried out 3-5 days after emergence.
5. Clearing Around the Crown and Root Training
Clearing around the crown and root training is generally carried out three days after the first hoeing and ridging. When peanut seedlings have all emerged, during the first intertillage, use a small hand hoe to dig a ring of soil around the seedlings at a distance of 2 cm from the plants, then gently scrape the two cotyledons out of the ground by hand. This helps the first pair of lateral branches develop vigorously and makes the seedlings grow strong. Once the peanut seedlings emerge, start hoeing; 3 days after hoeing, ridge the first time; after 15-20 days, hoe and ridge a second time, taking care that earthing up does not bury the seedlings; at the end of full flowering, finish the third hoeing and ridging; when closing the rows, ridge a four-direction head row so the pegs can penetrate the soil, and at the same time be careful to pull out large weeds.
6. Watering and Drainage
Peanuts fear both drought and waterlogging. Their water needs occur in stages. Before the flowering and pegging stage, the water requirement is not high. After this stage, the water requirement gradually increases, so timely watering is needed to supplement moisture and ensure plant growth. However, care must also be taken that the field does not accumulate water; standing water should be drained promptly so it does not affect root respiration and cause root rot.
7. Reasonable Topdressing
During the pod-setting and pod-filling stage, peanuts can be topdressed as needed according to growth conditions by foliar spraying of fertilizers such as potassium dihydrogen phosphate and plant growth regulators such as Lufeng 95 to promote seed formation. In addition, the pod-setting stage is when the peanut root system is at its weakest, so applying some foliar fertilizer is suitable to supplement the plant's nutrients.
8. Moderate Regulation
About one month after peanuts flower, to prevent excessive vegetative growth, when plants grow too vigorously or the field closes rows too early, paclobutrazol can be sprayed on the leaves for chemical regulation. When applied in fields with excessive growth, this can increase yield by 10%.
9. Disease Control
During the growing period, peanuts are susceptible to leaf spot disease and peanut rust. For leaf spot disease, 70-80 kg per mu of 75% thiophanate 1000-fold solution or 70-80 kg per mu of 50% carbendazim 800-1000-fold solution can be used for control. For peanut rust, 30-40 ml per mu of 20% triadimefon emulsifiable concentrate mixed with 40 kg of water can be used for control.
10. Timely Harvest
Generally in mid-September, when the peanut leaves turn yellow and some stems and leaves dry up, they can be harvested. After harvest, dry them in the sun to reduce moisture, promote after-ripening, and improve seed maturity. Peanuts kept for seed must be harvested and dried before frost.
Summary: The above is an introduction to peanut cultivation methods. In general, as long as good cultivation methods and techniques are mastered, peanut yields can be quite good, and the economic benefits obtained can also be satisfactory. Growers can refer to the above cultivation methods according to their own actual conditions. I hope this is helpful to those who need it!