Why Peanuts Have Empty Shells and How to Fix It: Growers Need to Know Early

Peanuts are grown all across the north and south of our country, and they are a relatively important oil crop and cash crop that can bring fairly high economic returns. But sometimes peanuts develop empty shells, which affects peanut yield. So why do peanuts have empty shells? What solutions are there?

1. Variety reasons

Peanut variety is also one of the causes of empty shells. Generally, peanuts with empty shells are varieties of the large peanut series. These varieties have large and heavy seeds when planted, and correspondingly require more nutrients, so they are prone to empty shells; while the small peanut pearl series rarely shows empty shells.

Solution: When planting, try to choose varieties of the small peanut pearl series. If using large peanut varieties, it is recommended to reduce planting density during planting and strengthen fertilizer and water management to ensure sufficient nutrients for their growth.

2. Calcium deficiency

The main cause of empty peanut shells is calcium deficiency. During the pod development stage of peanuts, if calcium is lacking, it will affect seed development and form empty shells. Calcium deficiency is sometimes caused by multiple factors, including soil and human management.

Soil: If the soil is too poor and fertility is insufficient, and no calcium fertilizer or organic fertilizer is applied, the inputs cannot meet the outputs, causing calcium deficiency. In addition, in acidic soils such as lateritic red soil and yellow-brown soil, the activity of calcium content is relatively low, making calcium deficiency very likely.

Climate: When high temperature and rainy weather are encountered during planting, calcium in the soil will be lost very quickly. Moreover, soil drought due to lack of water or waterlogging due to accumulated water will also affect the roots' absorption of calcium.

Improper fertilization: In pursuit of yield, some farmers blindly apply nitrogen fertilizer while neglecting the application of other nutrients, resulting in excessive nitrogen in the soil, causing peanut plants to grow excessively, while the underground parts form empty shells due to lack of nutrients. In addition, boron deficiency can also cause empty peanut shells, and excessive potassium fertilizer application can also cause empty shells.

3. Prevention and control measures

If calcium is deficient, fertilizer should be applied promptly to supplement calcium. Organic fertilizer can be applied to the soil at 3000-4000 kg per mu to ensure comprehensive nutrient supply. When topdressing, apply superphosphate, which contains not only phosphorus but is also rich in calcium, and can increase both calcium and phosphorus nutrients in the soil. Generally, apply 30 kg per mu as base fertilizer, and apply 10-20 kg per mu during later topdressing. At the flowering and pod-setting stages, carry out one foliar spray of boron fertilizer each time to promote flowering and pod formation, increase grain weight, and raise yield. When applying potassium fertilizer, apply it deeply to prevent excessive potassium in the fruiting layer from affecting calcium absorption. This can be done together with intertillage, applying it through deep plowing.