Peanut planting technology and management methods

Peanuts, also known as groundnuts, peanuts or ground beans, are a type of tree nut. It grows best in sandy soils with warm climates and moderate rainfall, and requires a long growing cycle. Let’s learn about peanut planting techniques and management methods below.

1. Plot selection and preparation

It is crucial to choose the right land for growing peanuts. Peanuts prefer sandy soil with good drainage and are sensitive to saline-alkali environments. Ideally, the land should be fertile and have not been planted with peanuts for many years to avoid the negative effects of continuous cropping. Crop rotation with crops such as sweet potatoes, corn or rice is recommended, but rotation with legumes should be avoided, which helps reduce the risk of peanut diseases . The pH value of the soil should be maintained at about 7.0, which helps the healthy growth of the peanut root system and thus ensures the quality of the peanuts.

In the northern arid regions, flat cropping is recommended for land consolidation. If the irrigation conditions are good, ridge cultivation can be selected, especially in low-lying areas, where high ridges should be built. The recommended ridge height is between 12 and 15 cm. During the land preparation process, the application of basal fertilizer will help ensure the healthy growth and uniform emergence of peanut seedlings. For example, for land with an expected peanut yield of 400 kg per mu, 2,000 kg of farmyard manure, 50 kg of superphosphate, 25 kg of ammonium carbon and 15 kg of potash fertilizer can be applied per mu. Alternatively, you can use about 30 kilograms of triple compound fertilizer per mu as a substitute for chemical fertilizer, mix it evenly and turn it into the tillage layer.

2. Seed preparation

To ensure the quality and yield of peanuts, it is crucial to select seeds with good quality and strong disease resistance. Before sowing, air the seeds in their shells for 1 to 2 days, then peel off the shells and remove any diseased, shriveled or poor quality seeds. This can effectively increase the germination rate of the seeds. When sowing, choose seeds with full grains and free of disease and mildew. Use 75% methyl thiophanate and water in a 4:30 ratio to dilute it, mix it evenly with the seeds, and wait for them to dry before sowing. This treatment can ensure that the peanuts emerge uniformly and healthily, reduce seedling death and plant rot, and enhance the disease resistance of peanuts.

3. Sowing Techniques

The best sowing period for peanuts is usually from April to May each year, when the temperature gradually rises to above 10°C and the light conditions are good, which is conducive to seed germination. Peanuts planted in summer should be planted about 10 days before or after the wheat harvest. Planting too early may cause the plants to grow too weak, while planting too late may damage the plants due to crushing, affecting emergence. The recommended sowing amount per mu is 15 to 18 kilograms, and the sowing depth should not be too deep, about 5 centimeters is appropriate. After emergence, the field conditions should be checked in time and replanting should be carried out to avoid missing seedlings and broken ridges.

4. Irrigation and fertilization

1. Irrigation strategy

As a thermophilic crop, peanuts have delicate water requirements. In water management, the principle of "better to have less than too much" should be followed. During the seedling stage, irrigation is usually not required. Moderate drought helps the development of the root system and enhances the seedlings' ability to resist drought and waterlogging. During the flowering needle stage and pod-setting stage, peanuts are more sensitive to water. If the leaves are found to be wilting at noon, irrigation should be carried out immediately to replenish the necessary water and alleviate the drought. During the fruit-filling period, water needs to be replenished in time during drought. It is advisable to use small amounts of water for irrigation. The best time for irrigation should be before 10 am or after 5 pm to avoid fruit rigidification or rot due to large temperature differences.

2. Fertilization method

The trace elements that peanuts prefer include potassium, phosphorus, calcium, molybdenum, boron, etc. As base fertilizer, you can use farmyard manure, compound fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer and potassium fertilizer, among which compound fertilizer has better effect. Since the rhizobia of peanuts can fix nitrogen by themselves, the amount of nitrogen fertilizer used should not be too much when fertilizing, so as to avoid excessive growth of peanuts. Nitrogen fertilizer can be used as tillage fertilizer, seed fertilizer or topdressing during the seedling stage. In order to enhance the disease resistance and stress resistance of peanuts, fertilizer containing trace elements can be sprayed in the early stage of flowering.

5. Key points of field management

During the growth process of peanuts, field management is the key link to ensure its healthy growth and increase yield.

1. Intertillage and weeding

During the peanut growth period, regular tillage and weeding are required to keep the soil loose and reduce weeds' competition for nutrients. When the seedlings grow two true leaves, the cotyledons should be exposed to the soil surface in time, which will help promote leaf growth and differentiation of flower buds.

2. Plant adjustment

When the height of the peanut plant reaches 30 to 35 cm, if the plant is found to be growing too vigorously, growth regulators can be used to control it moderately. The time for foliar spraying should be chosen before 10 am or after 3 pm to avoid adverse effects of high temperatures on the plants.

3. Management during the seedling stage

During the seedling emergence stage, if the cotyledons are found to have not fully emerged from the soil, the seedlings should be cleared and the plants should be stunted. For flat-crop sowing, you can use a large hoe to shallowly hoe between the rows, and then use a small shovel to gently dig up the soil around the seedlings to expose the cotyledons. For ridge-based sowing, you need to use a large hoe to dig deep into the ridge furrows, dig shallowly on the back of the ridges, and use a small shovel to clear the plants to expose the cotyledons. Be careful to avoid damaging the cotyledons of the seedlings, as this will affect the development of side branches and ultimate yield. After clearing the trees, you should wait until the seedlings are stable and the side branches grow strong before carrying out inter-cultivation.

4. Seedling management

The focus of seedling management is to rationally regulate water and fertilizer to promote the healthy development of the root system while balancing vegetative growth and reproductive growth. Irrigation is generally not required during the seedling stage. Moderate drought helps the roots penetrate deep into the soil and promotes the growth of seedlings to be short and strong. This process is called "drying seedlings". The seedling stage has a greater demand for nitrogen fertilizer. Adequate nitrogen fertilizer can promote the formation and differentiation of nodules, while making the stems thicker, thereby increasing the number of flowers and fruits. When the seedlings grow 3 to 5 true leaves, 5 kg of urea can be applied per mu to promote the healthy growth of the seedlings.

5. Management during flowering and pod setting

(1) Cultivation and soil building

The flowering and podding stages are critical periods for the growth of peanut fruits. Cultivation and soil cultivation at this time are essential to improving the fruit retention rate. Through tillage and soil cultivation, the risk of plant lodging can be reduced, the distance between the fruit needles and the ground can be shortened, and the fruit needles can be promoted to penetrate the soil smoothly, which is beneficial to the development of pods and increases the fruit setting rate and the fullness of the fruit. In addition, keeping the soil moderately moist helps the flowering and thorn formation of peanuts, increasing the possibility of fruiting.

(2) Water and fertilizer management

During this period, peanuts are very sensitive to water. Once the leaves are found to be wilting, irrigation should be carried out immediately to ensure that the plants have adequate water supply . Since peanuts will form a large number of nodules during the flowering needle stage, rhizobia can provide the plants with the necessary nitrogen elements. Therefore, nitrogen fertilizers should be avoided after flowering to prevent excessive growth of the plants. Before and after flowering, spraying foliar fertilizer containing boron and molybdenum can help preserve flowers and fruits. At the end of the flowering period, 50 grams of paclobutrazol can be applied per mu, diluted in a 1:1 ratio and sprayed on the leaves to prevent excessive growth and lodging of the plants, while improving ventilation and light conditions between plants and enhancing leaf photosynthesis.

(3) Chemical control time and methods

Timely chemical control is an effective means to increase peanut yield. The timing of chemical control should not be too early or too late. If it is too early, it may limit the growth of the plants, while if it is too late, it may cause the plants to grow wildly, affecting the normal entry of the fruit needles into the soil, and thus affecting the yield. About 30 days after flowering is the best time to apply chemical control. When using growth regulators, strictly control the dosage and focus on spraying the growth point at the top of the plant to maintain the ideal plant height between 30 and 40 cm.

VI. Pest and disease control

Peanuts are susceptible to a variety of diseases during their growth process. Common diseases include stem rot, crown rot, white rot, leaf spot and brown spot, which mainly affect the roots, stems and leaves of peanuts. Pyraclostrobin is a new type of methoxyacrylate fungicide with excellent control effects. It can fight diseases caused by a variety of pathogens, such as Deuteromycetes, Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes and Flagellates. This fungicide has strong permeability and systemic conductivity, and can prevent, protect and treat a variety of peanut diseases. It is one of the effective agents for preventing and controlling peanut diseases. Using pyraclostrobin to dress seeds can effectively prevent and control the occurrence and spread of peanut diseases.

The pest problem of peanuts cannot be ignored. Common pests include white grubs, wireworms, aphids, thrips and cutworms. They mainly harm the roots, stems and leaves of peanuts, resulting in weakened photosynthesis and decreased yield. In severe cases, they can even cause large-scale plant death. Thiamethoxam is a new second-generation neonicotinoid insecticide with contact and stomach poison effects, strong systemicity, good stability and long lasting effect. Thiamethoxam can be used as a seed dressing to effectively control underground pests such as white grubs, cutworms and wireworms, and can also prevent attacks by pests such as aphids, thrips and planthoppers. Mixing pyraclostrobin and thiamethoxam for seed dressing can significantly improve the control effect and effectively control diseases and pests of peanuts with significant results.

7. Harvest Timing

The harvest time of peanuts is crucial to their quality and yield. If harvested too early, the grains may not be full, and most of them are barren and of poor quality. Harvesting too late may cause the pods to fall off and become difficult to collect. Generally speaking, the best time to harvest is when the peanut shell hardens, blue-brown spots appear on the shell wall, the stripes become clear, the seeds become full, the color of the plant turns from green to yellow, and the lower leaves begin to fall off.

The above are the key points of peanut planting and management. Many regions in my country are major peanut-growing provinces. When considering planting, you also need to consider whether the local climate environment and conditions are suitable.