agric

ultu

re,

fore

stry

& fi

sher

ies

Dep

artm

ent:

Agr

icul

ture

, For

estry

and

Fis

herie

sR

EPU

BLI

C O

F SO

UTH

AFR

ICA

Wee

d c

on

tro

l

Gro

un

dn

ut

is s

usc

ep

tible

to

a w

ide

ra

ng

e o

f w

ee

ds

tha

t tr

em

en

do

usl

y co

mp

ete

with

gro

un

dn

uts

fo

r a

vaila

ble

so

il m

oist

ure,

soi

l nut

rient

s, li

ght,

spac

e an

d ot

her

wee

ds s

erve

as

hos

ts f

or d

isea

ses.

Wee

ds c

an r

esul

t in

low

yie

ld,

poor

q

ua

lity

of

the

gro

un

dn

ut

see

ds,

diff

icu

lt e

art

hin

g u

p a

nd

mak

es h

arve

stin

g to

be

diffi

cult.

As

such

an

inte

grat

ed s

ys-

tem

ran

ging

from

che

mic

al, m

echa

nica

l to

biol

ogic

al s

houl

d b

e u

sed

in o

rde

r to

pre

ven

t w

ee

d s

up

pre

ssio

n.

Eff

ect

ive

wee

d co

ntro

l im

plie

s go

od c

ontr

ol o

f wee

ds th

roug

hout

the

grow

ing

seas

on.

Pes

t d

isea

se c

on

tro

l

Dis

ease

s in

gro

undn

uts

can

be c

lass

ified

as

leaf

, ste

m a

nd

pod

dise

ases

and

in a

dditi

on t

o th

ese

part

icul

ar v

iral

dis

-ea

ses

are

also

enc

ount

ered

. Ins

ect p

ests

suc

h as

term

ites

cou

ld a

lso

pla

gu

e t

he

gro

un

dn

ut

farm

er.

All

of

the

se d

is-

ease

s an

d pe

sts

can

be id

entif

ied

by u

sing

the

publ

icat

ion

“Gro

undn

ut D

isea

ses

and

Pes

ts”

of t

he A

RC

-Gra

in C

rops

In

stitu

te. F

or in

form

atio

n on

che

mic

al c

ontr

ol “A

gui

de to

the

use

of p

estic

ides

and

fun

gici

des

in t

he R

epub

lic o

f S

outh

A

fric

a” p

ublis

hed

by th

e N

atio

nal D

epar

tmen

t of A

gric

ultu

re

shou

ld b

e co

nsul

ted

Har

vest

ing

mat

uri

ty a

nd

met

ho

d

The

num

ber

of d

ays

to m

atur

ity v

arie

s w

ith c

ultiv

ars.

The

re

are

som

e ch

arac

teris

tics

that

nee

d cl

ose

atte

ntio

n an

d ob

-se

rvat

ion

to d

eter

min

e ha

rves

t mat

urity

whi

ch a

re:

• P

od c

olou

r – in

ner w

alls

dis

play

a d

ark-

brow

n co

lour

as

a re

sult

of d

arke

ning

of t

he in

ner

tissu

e of

the

hull.

• S

ee

d c

olo

ur

– Y

ou

ng

im

ma

ture

se

ed

is

wh

ite

an

d ch

ange

s to

pin

k an

d du

ll pi

nk a

s th

e se

ed m

atur

es.

• Le

aves

– t

he le

aves

dev

elop

a y

ello

w c

olou

r an

d dr

y at

th

e tip

s.

The

dig

ger-

shak

er-w

indr

ower

is u

sed

to li

ft gr

ound

nuts

and

d

eta

ch t

he

m f

rom

th

e s

oil.

Dig

de

ep

en

ou

gh

to

pre

ven

t

cutt

ing

pegs

. W

indr

ow-i

nver

ting

atta

chm

ents

ori

ent

plan

ts

as th

ey le

ave

the

shak

er s

o po

ds a

re p

rimar

ily o

n th

e to

p of

w

indr

ows

to p

erm

it ad

equa

te a

ir ci

rcul

atio

n an

d ex

posu

re to

su

nlig

ht fo

r a

shor

ter

dryi

ng ti

me.

IMP

OR

TA

NC

E A

ND

US

ES

Hu

man

use

s –

Se

ed

s yi

eld

a n

on

-dry

ing

, e

dib

le o

il u

sed

in c

oo

kin

g,

ma

rga

rin

es,

sa

lad

s, c

an

nin

g,

for

de

ep

-fry

ing

, fo

r sh

orte

ning

in p

astr

y an

d br

ead.

S

eeds

are

eat

en r

aw,

who

le r

oast

ed a

nd s

alte

d, o

r ch

oppe

d in

con

fect

ione

ries,

or

grou

nd in

to p

eanu

t bu

tter

. Y

oung

pod

s m

ay b

e co

nsum

ed

as

a v

eg

eta

ble

. Y

ou

ng

lea

ves

an

d t

ips

are

su

itab

le a

s a

cook

ed g

reen

veg

etab

le.

Oth

er p

rodu

cts

incl

ude

ice

crea

m,

mas

sage

oil

and

pean

ut m

ilk.

Ind

ust

rial

use

s –

Gro

undn

ut o

il is

als

o us

ed f

or p

harm

a-ce

utic

als

, so

ap

s, c

old

cre

am

s, c

osm

etic

s, d

yes,

pa

ints

, po

mad

es a

nd lu

bric

ants

, em

ulsi

ons

for

inse

ct c

ontr

ol,

and

fuel

for

die

sel e

ngin

es.

Pea

nut

hulls

are

use

d fo

r fu

rfur

al,

fuel

and

as

fille

r fo

r fe

rtili

sers

.

2010

Prin

ted

and

publ

ishe

d by

:

D

epar

tmen

t of A

gric

ultu

re, F

ores

try

and

Fis

herie

s

Obt

aina

ble

from

:

R

esou

rce

Cen

tre

D

irect

orat

e A

gric

ultu

ral I

nfor

mat

ion

Ser

vice

s

P

rivat

e B

ag X

144

P

RE

TO

RIA

, 000

1

Fu

rth

er in

form

atio

n c

an b

e o

bta

ined

fro

m

Dire

ctor

ate

Pla

nt P

rodu

ctio

n, P

rivat

e B

ag X

250,

PR

ET

OR

IA 0

001

Tel

: +27

12

319

6072

• F

ax: +

27 1

2 31

9 63

72 •

E-m

ail:

DP

P@

daff.

gov.

za

Gro

undn

uts

Gro

undn

uts

Sci

enti

fic

nam

e: A

rach

is H

ypog

aea

L.S

ou

th A

fric

an

na

me

s:

pe

an

uts

, g

rou

nd

nu

ts,

es

in-

cono

, sam

aton

gom

ani,

Mat

onkg

oman

e, is

ivun

o, d

zind

uhu,

M

atok

oman

e

BA

CK

GR

OU

ND

The

cul

tivat

ed p

eanu

t or

grou

ndnu

t (A

rach

is h

ypog

aea

L.),

o

rig

ina

ted

in S

ou

th A

me

rica

(B

oliv

ia a

nd

ad

join

ing

co

un

-tr

ies)

and

is n

ow g

row

n th

roug

hout

the

tro

pica

l and

war

m

tem

pera

te r

egio

ns o

f the

wor

ld. T

his

crop

was

gro

wn

wid

ely

by n

ativ

e pe

ople

s of

the

New

Wor

ld a

t the

tim

e of

Eur

opea

n ex

pans

ion

in t

he s

ixte

enth

cen

tury

and

was

sub

sequ

ently

ta

ken

to

Eu

rop

e,

Afr

ica

, A

sia

, a

nd

th

e P

aci

fic

Isla

nd

s.

Gro

un

dn

ut

wa

s in

tro

du

ced

to

th

e p

rese

nt

So

uth

Ea

ste

rn

Un

ite

d S

tate

s d

uri

ng

co

lon

ial

tim

es.

Pe

an

ut

wa

s g

row

n pr

imar

ily a

s a

gard

en c

rop

in th

e U

nite

d S

tate

s un

til 1

870

Pro

du

ctio

n a

reas

Pro

vinc

e D

istr

ict

Mpu

mal

anga

:

N

kang

ala,

Dr

JS M

orok

a

Fre

e S

tate

:

Le

jwel

eput

swa,

Nke

toan

a

Nor

th W

est:

Nga

ka M

odiri

Mal

ema,

Dr

K

enne

th K

aund

a, B

ojan

ala

Lim

popo

:

Boh

labe

la, M

opan

i, V

hem

be,

Wat

erbe

rg

Nor

ther

n C

ape:

Joh

n T

aola

Gae

tsew

e, F

ranc

es B

aard

dist

rict

AG

RO

NO

MIC

RE

QU

IRE

ME

NT

S

Soi

l req

uire

men

tsG

roun

dnut

s gr

ow b

est i

n w

ell,

red-

colo

ured

, yel

low

-red

and

re

d w

ell-

dra

ine

d f

ert

ile s

an

dy

to s

an

dy

loa

ms

with

a p

H

rang

e of

5.5

to 7

.0. S

alin

e so

ils a

re n

ot s

uita

ble

sinc

e pe

anut

ha

s a

very

low

sal

t tol

eran

ce. S

oils

with

mor

e th

an 2

0 %

cla

y an

d st

ones

will

res

ult i

n po

or y

ield

and

mak

e ha

rves

ting

to

be d

iffic

ult.

Sha

llow

and

com

pact

ed s

oils

are

not

pre

ferr

ed

he

nce

th

e t

ap

ro

ot

of

gro

un

dn

ut

can

pe

ne

tra

te t

o t

he

so

il de

pth

of a

bout

2 m

. The

mos

t sui

tabl

e so

il fo

rms

are

Ava

lon,

B

ains

vlei

, Clo

velly

, Hut

ton,

Pin

eden

e an

d G

lenc

oe.

Clim

atic

req

uir

emen

ts

It r

eq

uir

es

a h

igh

te

mp

era

ture

an

d a

fro

st-f

ree

pe

rio

d o

f ab

out 1

60 d

ays.

Gro

undn

ut w

ill n

ot r

each

opt

imum

mat

urity

fo

r a

ma

rke

tab

le y

ield

to

just

ify c

om

me

rcia

l pro

du

ctio

n in

a

rea

s w

ith f

ew

er

he

at

un

its d

uri

ng

th

e g

row

ing

se

aso

n.

Gro

un

dn

uts

ge

rmin

ate

95

% a

t so

il te

mp

era

ture

s ra

ng

ing

from

18

to 3

0 °C

. T

he s

uita

ble

vege

tativ

e gr

owth

tem

pera

-tu

re r

ange

s fr

om 2

0 to

35

°C. H

owev

er a

t 33

°C th

is d

eclin

es

to 8

4 %

.Th

e t

em

pe

ratu

re f

avo

rab

le f

or

flow

eri

ng

an

d p

od

form

atio

n is

abo

ut 2

8 °C

.

Rai

nfa

ll

Rai

nfal

l of a

bout

500

-700

mm

per

ann

um w

ill b

e sa

tisfa

ctor

y fo

r g

oo

d y

ield

s o

f g

rou

nd

nu

ts.

Wid

er

row

s a

re a

dvi

sab

le

in lo

w r

ainf

all a

reas

whi

lst

the

narr

ow r

ows

are

suita

ble

in

high

er r

ainf

all a

reas

..

Cu

ltiv

ars

The

re a

re f

ew r

egis

tere

d cu

ltiva

rs f

or g

roun

dnut

s in

Sou

th

Afr

ica

; h

ow

eve

r re

sea

rch

on

cu

ltiv

ar

imp

rove

me

nts

is

unde

rway

.

Tab

le 1

. Som

e of

reg

iste

red

culti

vars

are

CU

LT

UR

AL

PR

AC

TIC

ES

Soi

l pre

para

tion

Se

ed

be

d s

ho

uld

be

pre

pa

red

, e

ithe

r o

n t

he

fla

t o

r w

ide

ly

ridg

ed f

ield

. P

rim

ary

soil

culti

vatio

n is

nec

essa

ry o

n vi

rgin

so

ils o

r an

y ot

her

soil

type

to r

emov

e de

bris

and

bre

ak th

e

plo

ug

h la

yer.

A u

nifo

rm s

ee

db

ed

with

su

ffic

ien

t p

lan

ting

de

pth

an

d s

pa

cin

g,

go

od

ge

rmin

atio

n,

we

ed

co

ntr

ol a

nd

go

od

mo

istu

re r

ete

ntio

n is

imp

era

tive

fo

r g

oo

d y

ield

s. A

ll pl

ant r

esid

ues

shou

ld b

e w

ell i

ncor

pora

ted

into

the

soil.

Fer

tilis

atio

n

Su

bst

an

tia

l e

vid

en

ce e

xist

s to

sh

ow

th

at

gro

un

dn

uts

re

spo

nd

to

ad

diti

on

al f

ert

ilise

r a

pp

lica

tion

s, e

ven

th

ou

gh

in r

ura

l situ

atio

ns

this

is n

ot

imp

era

tive

. G

rou

nd

nu

ts a

re

ad

ap

ted

to

a s

oil

with

a p

H (

H20

) o

f 5

, 3

or

hig

he

r, if

th

e p

H i

s h

igh

er

tha

n 5

, 3

to

8.0

, ce

rta

in e

lem

en

ts b

eco

me

un

ava

ilab

le e

.g.

iro

n a

nd

zin

c. B

ein

g a

leg

um

ino

us

cro

p,

grou

ndnu

ts c

an fi

x at

mos

pher

ic n

itrog

en (

N)

with

the

aid

of

root

bac

teria

. For

this

rea

son,

this

cro

p is

not

dep

ende

nt o

n ni

trog

en fe

rtili

satio

n.

Pla

nti

ng

Th

e p

lan

ting

da

te f

or

gro

un

dn

uts

in S

ou

th A

fric

a is

mid

-O

cto

be

r to

mid

-No

vem

be

r. P

lan

ting

sh

ou

ld o

ccu

r d

uri

ng

favo

ura

ble

so

il a

nd

we

ath

er

con

diti

on

s. A

pla

ntin

g d

ep

th

of

5 t

o 7

cm

is p

refe

rre

d f

or

be

tte

r g

erm

ina

tion

wh

en

so

il te

mpe

ratu

re is

at 1

8 °C

or

abov

e. T

he p

refe

rred

pop

ulat

ion

de

nsi

ty is

15

0 0

00

pla

nts

pe

r h

ect

are

un

de

r d

ry la

nd

an

d 30

0 00

0 pl

ants

per

hec

tare

und

er ir

riga

tion.

The

idea

l row

w

idth

for

Spa

nish

run

ner

type

gro

undn

ut u

nder

rai

nfed

con

-di

tions

sho

uld

be 9

0 to

100

cm

spa

cing

bet

wee

n ro

ws

and

unde

r irr

igat

ion

rang

es fr

om 3

0 to

45

cm. T

he r

unne

r ty

pes

requ

ire a

row

wid

th o

f 60

to 7

2 cm

and

are

pro

duce

d un

der

irrig

atio

n on

ly.

Irri

gat

ion

Mos

t of t

he c

ultiv

ated

gro

undn

uts

in S

outh

Afr

ica

are

unde

r dr

y la

nd. I

rrig

atio

n ca

n be

pra

ctic

al in

are

as w

ith li

mite

d so

il m

oist

ure/

low

rai

nfal

l are

as in

ord

er to

max

imiz

e pr

oduc

tion

and

qual

ity. T

he ir

rigat

ion

met

hod

will

dep

end

on th

e av

aila

-bl

e w

ater

res

ourc

es a

nd th

e av

aila

ble

irrig

atio

n eq

uipm

ents

.

Akw

a (2

54)

Har

ts (

254)

Kw

arts

(254

)A

nel (

254)

JL 2

4 (9

59)

Ram

bo (2

54)

Bill

y (2

54)

Kan

gwan

e R

ed (

254)

Sel

lieN

yand

a (1

137)

Mw

enje

(25

4)T

ufa

(254

)