PEA NUT PRODUCTION IN PAKISTAN A REPORT BY ALLAH DAD KHAN PPD CMPII NWFP PESHAWAR

The peanut, or groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), is a species in the legume"bean" family (Fabaceae) . Peanuts are known by many local names, including earthnuts, ground nuts, goober peas, monkey nuts, pygmy nuts and pig nuts.

History of Peanut
Evidence demonstrates that peanuts were domesticated in prehistoric times in Peru. Archeologists have (thus far) dated the oldest specimens to about 7,600 years before the present.[5] Cultivation..

Production
Peanut is now grown in more than 40 countries but its main producers are, China, India ,USA, Nigeria, Indonesia , Mayanmar (old Burma), Sudan ,Senegal,Argentina., and Vietnam .

China leads in production of peanuts having a share of about 32.95% of overall world production, followed by India (18%) and the United States of America (6.8%). Top ten producers of peanuts - 2008/2009 Country China India USA Nigeria Indonesia Myanmar Sudan Senegal Argentina Vietnam Production ( Million Metric Tons) 14.30 6.25 2.34 1.55 1.25 0.85 0.85 0.71 0.58 0.50

World

34.43

INTRODUCTION IN Pakistan

Firstplantingonacommercialscalebeganin1949with400hacultivationinRawalpindi(Ahmad1990). Groundnutisgrownmostlyasnutcropratherthanamajoroilseedcrop.Almostallofthegroundnut producedismarketedasroastednuts

Groundnut is an important cash crop in barani areas district Swabi, koat and Karak and other districts of NWFP. In Punjab Province in Attock, Chakwal, Khushab, Mianwali, Bhakkar and Bhawalnagar. and other districts.In Sindh, it is grown under irrigated conditions in Khairpur, Ghotki, Sukkur, and Sanghar districts are its main producers. About 84 % of the total groundnut area lies in Punjab The

area and production in Punjab is bigger because crop is cultivated both in barani (rain-fed) and irrigated areas., 13% in NWFP and 3 % in Sindh. During 2007-2008 ,in NWFP province 7555 hectares cropwas planted and 11478 tons groung nut produced. GROUNDNUT or peanut is one of the important kharif oilseed crops. It has an oil content of 50 per cen Chemical composition of pea nut The chemical composition of groundnut is energy (Kj/100g) 240, water 5, carbohydrates 18, protein 28. The kernel (seed) is a rich source of vitamin A, B and members of B2 group and iron Climate Groundnut is a warm season crop and the plant requires ample water, especially at its fruiting time.
Soil Selection

The soil surface should be smooth and free of clods of soil or plant residue prior to planting. The sub-soil as well as surface soil play an important role in obtaining higher yield and the quality of groundnut. A well drained, coarse textured and sandy loam soil is suitable for groundnut production. Pods produced on these soils will be clean and bright as desirable market trait. Soil which contains an

appreciable amount of clay may result in crust formation and the pegs may not be able to penetrate into the soil for fruiting, moreover, it is very difficult to harvest groundnut grown on such type of soils. Sandy loam soils are generally low in fertility, therefore, balanced doses of fertilizer and their timely application is very important.

Land Preparation The primary tillage operations should be performed at least one month before planting. For March-April planting, deep tillage with mouldboard plough upto the depth of 25-30 cm is recommended in early to mid February. This operation open the soil and preseves soil moisture by recharging from subsequent rains. Mouldboard plough should be followed by a disc/harrow to level and pack the soil. A well prepared seedbed results in good germination and healthy seedlings, thus the proper plant stand is maintained. Fertilizer application Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the three major nutrients required for this crop. An ideal rate is 20 kg N, 80 kg P2O5 and 60 kg K/ hectare. If soil is more sandy or intensively cropped, 100-kg K/ha is recommended.. Gypsum Application

Gypsum can be used to supply calcium to peanuts. Calcium is needed by the peanuts to ensure well-filled pods, reduce pod rots caused by imbalances of other nutrients, and to improve viability of peanuts produced for seed. The need for gypsum can be determined by soil tests and, if needed, the gypsum should be applied no later than early flowering.
Gypsum plays an important role for higher production per unit area. Application of gypsum @ 400-500 Kg/ha just at beginning time of monsoon season (crop planted in March-April), when flowers produce viable pegs and at flowering time of the late planted crop gives good results. In more sandy soils higher rates of gypsum are required due to increased leaching. Gypsum can be used to supply calcium to

peanuts. Calcium is needed by the peanuts to ensure well-filled pods, reduce pod rots caused by imbalances of other nutrients, and to improve viability of peanuts produced for seed

. Variety selection
Two types of groundnut vaieties, spreading (runner) and erect or bunchy types are widely grown in Pakistan. List of suitable promising varieties, their yield potential and maturity duration is given in the following Table. Suitable Groundnut Varieties, their yield potential and maturity duration recommended by research Variety Suitable Area Yield Potential 3500 4000 2500 Maturity Duration (Kg/ha) (days) 160-170 180-190 120-130

BARD-699 (Semi-bunch) > 500 mm precipitation BARD-479 (Semi-spreading) All areas BARD-92 (Bunch) Rainfed areas Late planting after wheat

Chakori (Bunch) BARI-89 (Spreading) Swat Phali (Bunch)

< 500 mm Precipitation < 500 mm Precipitation Swat & Malakand agency

3600 4000 3800

170-180 180-190 170-180

___________________________________________________________________________________

Seed Rate

Obtain sound, mature, and disease-free seed that have been treated with a fungicide to help prevent seed and seedling diseasesSeed selected for planting should be bold, uniform well matured
and disease free. Pods should be shelled a few days before planting and treated with proper fungicide. To get optimum plant densities, recommended seed rate for different types of groundnut is as follows: Spreading and semi spreading types: Bunch and semi bunch types: Seed Inoculation Groundnut is a highly efficient legume crop. It begins to supply its own nitrogen after 30-40 days from planting if the correct soil bacterial are present. It is essential to inoculate the seed immediately before planting with efficient rhizobium strain to obtain higher yield. Planting Time Groundnut can be grown successfully in the areas where 250-300 mm well distributed rain is received during the growing period of April to September. .. The optimum planting time in NWFP is March .The optimum planting time in Punjab (Pothwar area) is April. Under irrigated conditions, it is planted in early March and harvested in August. In Sindh, the best planting time reported is May. Short duration varieties maturing in 120-130 days can be planted at the onset of monsoon in late June or early July. Planting Method Groundnut is usually planted 4-6 inches deep on light soils and 2-4 inches on heavier soils. For cultural operation ( hoeing, spraying, weeding) and mechanical digging, it should be planted in straight lines. Plant and Row Spacing Based on previous research findings, the general recommendation for groundnut in Pakistan is to plant bunch, semi bunch varieties with 45 cm row spacing and 10 cm plant to plant spacing, which results in a plant density of 220,000 plants / ha. . Weed Control 75 80 kg / ha (167,000 plants) 95-100 kg / ha (220,000 plants).

Season-long weed control is necessary since weeds present at digging and harvest can disrupt these operations resulting in yield losses.
a. Cultural Control: Weeding with khurpa, kasola or rotary hoe and cultivator with small sweeps ( tractor drawn) in the direction of rows may be completed when it is required.These operations perations should

be completed before peg formation so that the young pegs entering into the soil may not be demaged. The first weeding can be done about four to five weeks after planting and the second weeding before peg formation. b. Chemical Control: Herbicide can be an effective weed management tool for groundnut in Pakistan, if applied properly at proper time. Fusilade (Fluazifop P-Butyl) a selective (post-emergence herbicide) for grassy weeds and Johnson grass in groundnut growing areas has been successful @ 1-2 liter/ ha, but has not yet been registered in Pakistan.

Pest Management and Monitoring

After planting, peanuts should be monitored continually for proper growth and pest problems. If stands are poor or if the plants are weak and deformed, it may be necessary to replant in order to get a good stand of healthy peanuts. However, determine the reason for the poor stands. If it is poor seed, you may have to find another seed source. If it is disease, you may have to improve the seed treatment. If it is caused by soil compaction, dryness of the soil, or other reasons, then the problems should be corrected before the peanuts are replanted.

Insects
Termites, are controlled by the application of Furadan granules (3 G or 10 g) mixed with fertilizer at planting. Aphids can be controlled by spraying dimecron, Thiodon 100% @ 1 litre/ha mixed with 50 gallons of water. : Red hairy Caterpillar (Amsacta albistriga Wlk) the is most abundant insect in groundnut growing areas of Pothwar (Punjab) and Swabi (NWFP). Spray of systemic insecticides such as dimecron 100 % @ 1 kg / ha, Buldock and Karate @ 250 g / ha should be done.

Diseases
Diseases have the least impact on groundnut production in Pakistan. However, early leaf spot (Cercospora arachidicola) and late leaf spot (Phaeoisariopsis personata) is prevalent and common disease in Pakistan. By the attack of this disease some times complete defoliation of leaves may cause significant yield reduction. This diseases can be controlled (chemically) by one or two strategically timed applications of fungicides such as Chlorothalonil (Daconil) and Dithane M-45 (2 %). Wilt ( Fuzarium sps.) and root rot (Sclerotium rolfsii) ( minor disesses) are controlled by using different crop rotations. Viral diseases (Peanut Bud Nacrosis and Peanut Clump Virus) have also been observed from groundnut growing areas. Some seed born fungal diseases also attack the seedlings before emergence. It is therefore recommended that the seed should be treated with a proper fungicide before sowing. Vertebrate pests The second largest yield reduction associated with groundnut pests in Pakistan is caused by infestation of a variety of vertebrate pests i.e. rodents, wild boars, porcupine, desert hares and crows.

Rodents Among the animals damaging the groundnut crop, rates are serious pests which cause sometimes as high as 60-70 percent. Two types of chemicals available to control the rodents are zinc phosphide and Racumin. Baiting must be done regularly over a period of 4-5 days until crop is mature to ensure good control. These baits are also available with vertebrate pest control laboratory at NARC. Burrows can be fumigated, using Dietia capsules or Phostoxin/Agtoxin tablets which are readily available in the market. Wild Boars This animal roots out groundnut plants, generally scooping out a depression from 5-10 cm deep. Mostly, plant roots are exposed and plants are withered around. They can be controlled by physical methods i.e. Shooting, trapping and chasing etc. Special campaign is required to control this animal. Chemical control is more effective and viable than physical measures. Baits made from Sodium Monofluoroacetate or Zinc phosphide with crushed wheat and maize grains and brown sugar can be used. Before using the baits, unpoisoned baits are laid out for two -four days for feeding the animals. When wild boars start feeding unpoisoned baits, poison mixed baits should be placed for rebait. Porcupine The Indian-crested porcupine recognized with black and white quills is also a serious pest of this crop which damage the plants by clawing the groundnut roots. Fresh burrows should be located by observing feet tracks, and shed quills. There are two methods to control these animals, i.e., fumigation and baiting. For baiting Sodium Monoflouroactate (1080) can be smeared on cut potatoes or apples and placed deep in burrows. Racumin bait by mixing of 1:19 ratio of racumin and wheat flour with gur or brown sugar can be used. For fumigation, 6-8 Phostoxin or agtoxin tablets should be placed deep into the burrow and the den is sealed firmly with vegetation and soil. Harvesting

Because all pods do not mature at the same time, one of the most difficult problems in producing peanuts is determining when to harvest. Runner peanuts normally mature in approximately 135-155 days after planting .
Timely harvesting of groundnut is an important factor for getting higher yields like other crops. Early digging results in lower maturity and lower yield. Late digging results in more leftover losses in the soil and high digging cost due to dry and hard soil. The optimum time of groundnut digging is determined by digging a few plants from the field and counting the mature pods. Digging should be stared when 70-75 percent pods are mature. Crop should be properly digged out with hand tools such as Khurpa, kasola, Spade, and pods are picked up from the soil as much as possible. A tractor mounted digger is available and could be used for digging. Threshing Once groundnut is dug and collected pods must be separated from vines by hand or beaten and winnowed. This whole process is expensive, time consuming and labour intensive. Profit from groundnut production can be enhanced by mechanizing this process and reducing the cost of production. For this purpose, a PTO driven FMI thresher, commercially available with local manufacturers, can be used. Drying and Curing After digging, the produce is cured by sun drying for about 6-8 days to maintain the desirable flavour and quality. At the time of digging, pods contain about 40-50 % moisture which should be reduced to 8-10 %

by curing for safe storage. Well dried cleaned pods should be properly stored. Excessive humidity in the store favours the fungus growth on the pods which can damage the seed. Storing

Storage of peanuts should be in an insect-free area. An insecticide is normally sprayed on the stored peanuts to prevent insect infestations. Dried peanuts should not exceed 10% moisture content in storage or molds may develop. Insects and rodents are attracted to peanuts, so protective measures should be taken. To delay rancidity, keep the peanuts in a cool, dry location.The moisture content of the peanuts should be below 10 percent for safe, long-term storage. The storage facility should be one that prevents moisture accumulation in or around the peanuts. Uses: Groundnut has a variety of uses. It is primarily grown for its high oil content for making cooking oil. Seedcake, after extraction of oil is fed to livestock because of its residual protein value and is also used as manure. The deodorised and decolourised oil is used to make margarine (a food like butter). The nutty nut is used in preparing vegetable dishes. The seed is used in bakery products.

Cookies Peanut Butter Nimko

Roasted ( in oil or hot sand ) the seed is sold in small packets and is used in nimko mix. It is in great demand. Roasted kernels are served by housewives with other dry fruits before guests at tea time. Peanut oil is used for making soaps, cosmetics and lubricants. Oil emulsion are nutrient and used for softening pharmaceutical products. Being a leguminous plant, nitrogen is fixed by bacteria in root nodules of peanut crop. Peanut is therefore, given a proper place in the crop rotation programmes to maintain soil fertility. Leaves of the plant are fed to cattle. Productionconstraints MajorproductionconstraintsinPakistanhavebeenidentifiedaslackofshortdurationcultivars, lackofcertifiedseeds,lowlevelsofinputs,highharvestingcostsandlosses,damagebywildboars andrats.Majorinsectspestsarejassids,aphids,cutworms,thrips.Thediseaseofimportancein Pakistanistikkaspot.Fusariumwiltandrootrotdiseaseshavealsobeenreported.