Groundnut Cultivation in India: Varieties & Major Producing States

Table of Contents

• An Overview of Groundnuts
• Which are the Popular Groundnut Varieties Cultivated in India?
• Groundnut Cultivation in India

• • Land Preparation
  • Soil & Climate
  • Seed Selection
  • Seed Rate & Spacing
  • Time of Sowing
  • Manure & Lime Application
  • Irrigation
  • Pest & Disease Management
  • Harvesting, Storage & Yield

• Major Groundnut Producing States in India

An Overview of Groundnut

Groundnut, also known as peanut, is a species in the “legume” or “bean” family. The scientific name of ground nuts is Arachis hypogaea. These are crunchy and sweet flavour nuts with a long shelf life. These are consumed as a roasted, boiled, peanut butter and many other dishes in Indian households.

India is the second-largest producer of groundnut crops in the world. In India, groundnuts are available throughout the year due to a two-crop cycle harvested in March and October. These are mostly grown under rain-fed conditions. According to APEDA, in 2023-24, India has exported 680,698.61 metric tonnes of groundnuts to Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand. The major groundnut growing states are Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and Uttar Pradesh.

Which are the Popular Groundnut Varieties Cultivated in India?

• Mallika
• Kadiri
• Rohini
• Phule Morna
• Phule Warna
• Jawahar
• Phule Bharti
• Girnar
• Ajeya
• Vijetha

Groundnut Cultivation in India

Ground nuts are known for their multiple uses as nutritious food-feed-fodder crop, but it is also important to know about their cultivation process. Let’s understand each step in the ground nut cultivation process.

Land Preparation

Land preparation is the first step in the cultivation process of ground nuts. To prepare the land, ploughing should be done twice to make the land weed free and pulverize the soil well to obtain good tilth. Before sowing, a third ploughing may be needed. In flat lands, raised beds of 10-15 cm height should be prepared to avoid water logging.

Soil & Climate

Sandy loam and loamy soils and black soils with good drainage are ideal for groundnut cultivation. Heavy and clayey soils are not considered good for these crops. Ground nuts are cultivated up to an altitude of 1000 metres. A minimum rainfall of 1,250 mm is required for the proper growth of these crops. The rainfall should be well distributed during the flowering and pegging of the crop. The ground nut crops, however, cannot stand frost.

Seed Selection

Use well developed kernels for sowing. Do not use very small, shrivelled and diseased kernels as they will affect the growth.

Seed Rate & Spacing

The seed rate and spacing of groundnut depends upon the varieties. For the bunch type the spacing should be 30 X 10 cm and for semi spreading type it should be 30 X 15 cm. The quantity of seeds required per hectare with the above spacing’s will be about 95 -100 kg for semi spreading varieties and 100 - 120 kg for the bunch varieties.

Time of Sowing

Ground nuts best grow in the month of May to June with the onset of monsoon. In some areas, they are sown as late in August or early September due to the delayed monsoon.

Manure & Lime Application

Application of 10-15t/ha of well decomposed farmyard manure (FYM) about 15-20 days before sowing along with 150 kg neem cake and 150 kg rock-phosphate has been found optimum for attaining good yield.

In the interval of 1- 2 weeks before sowing, the application of lime @ 2 tonne/ha is important for the higher yield.

Irrigation

Irrigation two or three times depending upon seasonal rainfall is necessary for good crop growth.

Pest & Disease Management

Harvesting, Storage & Yield

The ground nut seeds should be harvested based on the varieties. The bunch type varieties mature in about 110 - 115 days and the semi spreading varieties in 120 - 125 days. The packaging should be done properly. The ground nuts should be stored in gunny bags and stacked in a storeroom in tires comprising not more than ten in each in such a way that the air keeps circulating over planks to avoid damage from dampness, rats, etc. Under rainfed conditions, the average yield for bunch type is 1200-1500 kg and for semi-spreading and spreading varieties is 1500- 2000 kg of unshelled pods per hectare.

Major Groundnut Producing States in India

According to the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, in 2023-2024, the state wise peanut production in India is as follows:

Concluding the blog, we would like to tell you that not just edible peanuts, but India also supplies blanched peanuts, roasted salted peanuts and dry roasted peanuts and a variety of peanut-based products. Apart from staple food, ground nut oil also holds significance. They have a high oil content in their kernels, combined with their favorable fatty acid profile, makes it a favored source of edible oil worldwide. Overall, this industry is growing rapidly and by incorporating traits like improved nutritional content, disease and pest resistance, the government of India aims to enhance groundnut's potential impact on global food security and nutrition.