CropNeeds attention
Groundnut
Arachis hypogaea L.
Temperature
22°C to 32°C
Rainfall
533mm to 1714mm per season
Conditions
What it needs
Soil
Loose sandy loam. Pods form underground, so a hard or crusted soil badly reduces yield.
Water
Needs moisture at flowering and pod fill. Should be dry approaching harvest.
What you will need
Tick what you already have; Grow carries the rest into the cost working.
Grow holds no supplier listings and no local prices, so it cannot tell you where to buy these or what they cost near you. Ask at your nearest agrodealer or extension office, then put those figures into the planner.
Through the season
Stages
- 01
Land preparation
12 days- Prepare a loose, fine seedbed
- 02
Planting
3 days- Sow at correct depth and spacing
- 03
Vegetative growth
35 days- Weed early and shallowly
- Scout for aphids
- 04
Flowering and pegging
30 days- Apply calcium
- Do not disturb the soil surface
- 05
Pod fill and harvest
40 days- Lift when pods are mature
- Dry thoroughly to prevent aflatoxin
Watch for
Common problems
Groundnut rosette
- What you will see
- Stunted bushy plants with small mottled yellow leaves.
- What to do
- Spread by aphids. Plant early at a dense stand and use resistant varieties.
Leaf spot
- What you will see
- Dark spots on leaves, then heavy leaf drop before harvest.
- What to do
- Rotate out of groundnut, remove crop residue, and use tolerant varieties.
Aflatoxin contamination
- What you will see
- Not visible. Caused by mould in poorly dried or damaged pods.
- What to do
- A serious health risk and a reason buyers reject a crop. Harvest at the right time, dry quickly and fully, and never store damp or damaged pods.
Follow the label for doses, and ask an extension officer or vet before using a chemical you have not used before.