Groundnut Cultivation: Agronomic Practices and Varieties

Groundnut – also called peanut or earthnut – is one of India’s most economically significant oilseed crops. Grown across states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, it serves as a crucial source of vegetable oil, protein, and animal feed. The kernels contain approximately 45% oil and 20-26% protein, making them valuable not just for cooking oil extraction but also for direct consumption, confectionery, and industrial use. After oil extraction, the remaining seedcake is widely used as organic manure and cattle feed, giving farmers multiple revenue streams from a single crop. If you’re looking to grow groundnut successfully, understanding the right varieties, soil needs, nutrient management, and pest control strategies is essential.

Why groundnut matters for Indian agriculture 🔗

India is the world’s second-largest producer of groundnut after China, with the crop covering around 6.6 million hectares of land. The crop accounts for a significant share of the country’s total oilseed production, playing a major role in edible oil supply. Beyond oil, groundnut kernels are rich in minerals, vitamins (A, B, and E), and amino acids, making them a nutritious food source for millions.

One of groundnut’s most interesting botanical features is geocarpy – the flowers bloom above the soil surface, but after pollination, the developing pegs (structures carrying the embryo) push downward into the soil where the pods actually form and mature underground. This unique growth habit directly influences several agronomic decisions, from soil type selection to earthing-up practices.

As a legume, groundnut also fixes atmospheric nitrogen through symbiotic Rhizobium bacteria in its root nodules. This naturally enriches the soil, making it an excellent rotational crop with cereals like maize or sorghum. According to ICRISAT, this nitrogen-fixing ability promotes soil biodiversity and reduces the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in subsequent crops.

Climate and soil requirements 🔗

Groundnut is a warm-season crop that thrives in tropical and subtropical regions. It grows best in areas lying between 45°N and 35°S latitude, at altitudes up to 1,000 metres, and with annual rainfall between 500-1,250 mm. The crop cannot tolerate prolonged frost, severe drought, or waterlogging.

Temperature 🔗

The optimal temperature range for groundnut is 25-30°C throughout the growing period. This range supports proper flower development, peg formation, and kernel filling. Temperatures above 35°C during the flowering stage can reduce pollination efficiency, while temperatures below 20°C slow down plant growth significantly.

Soil 🔗

Groundnut performs best in well-drained sandy loam and light-textured soils. These soil types are ideal because they allow easy penetration of pegs into the ground and smooth harvesting of pods. Deep black cotton soils and heavy clay soils should be avoided as they hinder peg penetration and can cause pod rot due to poor drainage. A soil pH of 6.0-7.0 is considered optimal. According to Plantix, maintaining the right pH ensures better nutrient availability, particularly of calcium and phosphorus, which are critical for pod development.

Recommended groundnut varieties 🔗

Selecting the right variety is one of the most important decisions in groundnut farming. Varieties differ in their maturity duration, yield potential, disease resistance, and suitability to specific agro-climatic zones. India’s research institutions – including ICAR’s Directorate of Groundnut Research and various state agricultural universities – have released several improved varieties tailored for different regions and seasons.

JL 501 🔗

Released by MPKV Jalgaon in 2010, JL 501 is a Spanish bunch type variety with a yield potential of around 1,661 kg/ha. It is recommended for Gujarat and southern Rajasthan and is known for its adaptability to both early and late-sown rainfed conditions. Research has also shown that JL 501 exhibits notably low susceptibility to seed infection by Aspergillus flavus, which is a major concern for aflatoxin contamination in stored groundnut.

Vijetha (R 2001-2) 🔗

Vijetha, developed by UAS Raichur and also released in 2010, has a yield potential of approximately 1,600 kg/ha. It is recommended for a wider geographic range including West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. A key advantage of Vijetha is its resistance to Peanut Bud Necrosis Disease (PBND), making it especially suitable for the rabi-summer season. It also shows good drought tolerance and resistance to foliar diseases.

Other notable varieties 🔗

Several other improved varieties deserve mention. GG-20 and Kadiri-6 are popular in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. TG-37A is tolerant to leaf spot diseases and suitable for rabi cultivation. ICRISAT has also pioneered high oleic acid varieties like Girnar 4 and Girnar 5, which produce oil with better shelf life and health benefits. For the best results, always use fresh, certified seeds and consult your local agricultural extension office to identify the varieties best suited to your region and season.

Land preparation and sowing 🔗

Field preparation 🔗

Good land preparation is critical for groundnut because the pods develop underground and need loose, friable soil. The field should be ploughed to a depth of 15-25 cm and then harrowed two to three times in a criss-cross direction to achieve a fine tilth free from clods. According to TNAU’s crop production guide, soils with a hard pan should be chiselled at 0.5 m intervals once every three years. Applying 8-10 tonnes/ha of well-decomposed farmyard manure (FYM) before sowing improves soil organic carbon and micronutrient availability.

Seed rate and spacing 🔗

The recommended seed rate for groundnut is 80-125 kg of kernels per hectare, depending on the variety and seed size. For erect (Spanish bunch) types, a spacing of 30 cm × 10 cm is standard, giving a plant population of about 3.33 lakh plants per hectare. For semi-spreading or spreading (Virginia) types, wider spacing of 45 cm × 10 cm is recommended. Proper spacing ensures adequate sunlight, air circulation, and room for pegging while preventing disease build-up from overcrowding.

Seed treatment 🔗

Treating seeds before sowing protects seedlings from soil-borne diseases like collar rot, stem rot, and root rot. The recommended treatment involves applying Trichoderma viride @ 4 g/kg seed or a fungicide like Thiram or Mancozeb @ 4 g/kg seed. In areas prone to Peanut Bud Necrosis Disease, seed treatment with Imidacloprid @ 2 ml/kg seed helps control the thrips vector. Seeds should also be inoculated with Rhizobium culture, especially in new or rice-fallow fields, to ensure effective nitrogen fixation. The correct order is: first treat with insecticide, shade-dry, then treat with fungicide, and finally inoculate with Rhizobium.

Sowing time 🔗

In the kharif season, groundnut is sown between mid-June and mid-July, depending on the onset of monsoon. In rabi (winter), sowing is done from November to January under irrigated conditions or in rice fallows using residual moisture. Pre-monsoon sowing with one irrigation, where facilities exist, can substantially improve yields by giving the crop a head start in favourable growing conditions.

Nutrient management 🔗

Groundnut has specific nutritional demands that differ from cereals. Being a legume, it has moderate nitrogen needs (partly met through biological fixation) but requires higher amounts of phosphorus, calcium, and sulphur for good pod formation and oil synthesis.

Basal fertiliser application 🔗

A general blanket recommendation, where soil test data is unavailable, is to apply 20-25 kg N, 40-60 kg P₂O₅, and 40-50 kg K₂O per hectare as a basal dose at the time of sowing. Phosphorus is particularly important as it promotes root development and pod filling. Using phosphate-solubilising bacteria (PSB) like Pseudomonas striata along with phosphatic fertilisers improves phosphorus availability from the soil.

Gypsum application 🔗

Gypsum (calcium sulphate) is arguably the single most important supplemental input for groundnut. It supplies both calcium and sulphur – two nutrients critical for shell formation, kernel filling, and oil content. Gypsum is applied at 400-500 kg/ha around the 40th-45th day after sowing, at the time of earthing up. According to the TNAU guidelines, gypsum should be applied by the side of the plants, hoed into the soil, and then followed by earthing up. However, gypsum application should be avoided in calcareous soils that already have high calcium content.

Micronutrients 🔗

Zinc and iron deficiencies are common in groundnut-growing regions. For zinc deficiency, apply 25 kg ZnSO₄/ha as a basal dose. Iron deficiency can be corrected by foliar spraying of 1% FeSO₄ at 30, 40, and 50 days after sowing. Boron deficiency, which can impair pod development, is addressed by applying Borax @ 10 kg/ha along with gypsum.

Water management 🔗

In kharif, groundnut is predominantly a rainfed crop, dependent on monsoon rainfall. The crop needs 500-700 mm of well-distributed rainfall throughout its growing period. Critical stages for moisture are flowering (25-40 days after sowing), pegging, and pod development. Water stress during these stages significantly reduces pod yield.

For irrigated rabi and summer crops, 6-8 irrigations are typically required. Light, frequent irrigations are preferred over heavy flooding, as waterlogging promotes root rot and stem rot. Drip irrigation and sprinkler systems are increasingly being adopted in groundnut farming for water efficiency. It’s important to ensure that the last irrigation is given about 10-15 days before harvest to allow soil drying, which makes pulling the plants easier and reduces pod loss.

Weed management 🔗

Groundnut has poor competitive ability against weeds during the first 3-6 weeks after sowing. If weeds are not controlled during this window, yield losses can be substantial. After 45 days, however, weeding should be avoided as soil disturbance can damage developing pegs and pods.

For chemical weed control, pre-emergence herbicides like Pendimethalin 30% EC @ 1.3-1.6 litres/acre or Alachlor 50% EC @ 1 litre/acre can be sprayed within 2-3 days of sowing. If pre-emergence herbicides are not applied, a post-emergence spray of Imazethapyr 10% SL @ 300 ml/acre at the 2-3 leaf stage of weeds (within 21 days of sowing) is effective. Combining one herbicide application with one hand weeding around 25-30 days after sowing generally gives the best weed control.

Pest management 🔗

Groundnut is attacked by several insect pests at various growth stages. An integrated pest management (IPM) approach – combining cultural, biological, and chemical methods – is recommended for sustainable control.

Aphids (Aphis craccivora) 🔗

Aphids are small, dark brown to shiny black insects that cluster on young leaves, buds, flowers, and aerial pegs. They suck plant sap, causing yellowing, wilting, and stunted growth. A major concern is that aphids serve as vectors for viral diseases like Peanut Stripe Virus and Rosette. They also secrete honeydew, promoting sooty mould growth on leaves. Chemical control with dimethoate @ 200-250 ml a.i./ha is recommended when all terminal buds are infested and no natural predators like ladybird beetles are present.

Jassids (Empoasca kerri) 🔗

Also called leafhoppers, jassids suck sap from the underside of young leaves. The characteristic damage symptom is whitening of leaf veins, followed by yellow patches at leaflet tips forming a distinctive “V” shape (known as hopper burn). High rainfall and low temperatures encourage jassid multiplication. Spraying dimethoate or Imidacloprid is recommended when more than 10% of leaves show hopper burn symptoms within 30 days of crop emergence.

Thrips and leaf miner 🔗

Thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis) are tiny insects that live in flowers and folded leaflets, causing white or necrotic patches on leaf surfaces. They also transmit Peanut Bud Necrosis Disease. Leaf miner (Aproaerema modicella) larvae mine inside the leaflets and then web adjacent leaves together, feeding from inside. Badly attacked fields appear scorched from a distance. Intercropping groundnut with pearl millet or soybean has been shown to suppress thrips, jassids, and leaf miner populations.

White grubs and tobacco caterpillar 🔗

White grubs (larvae of scarab beetles) feed on roots and developing pods underground, causing wilting and plant death. Their adults emerge with the first monsoon rains and can be managed through deep ploughing in summer to expose pupae. Tobacco caterpillar (Spodoptera litura) larvae defoliate the crop and can bore into tender pods. Pheromone traps for adult moth monitoring and sprays of nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) are effective biocontrol options.

Disease management 🔗

Diseases cause significant yield losses in groundnut, with over 40 pathogens reported to affect the crop. Adopting resistant varieties and integrated disease management practices is essential.

Early and late leaf spot 🔗

These are the most widespread fungal diseases of groundnut worldwide. Early leaf spot (Cercospora arachidicola) produces dark brown circular spots on the upper leaf surface, while late leaf spot (Cercosporidium personatum) shows darker, almost black spots on the lower surface. Both cause premature defoliation and can reduce yields by 20-50%. Fungicide sprays with Mancozeb @ 2 g/litre or Chlorothalonil at 45, 60, and 75 days after sowing provide effective control. Varieties like TG-37A and Kadiri-9 show moderate resistance to leaf spots.

Rust 🔗

Groundnut rust, caused by Puccinia arachidis, produces reddish-brown pustules on the lower leaf surface. It often occurs along with late leaf spot, and the combined effect can be devastating. Spraying with fungicides like Hexaconazole @ 1 ml/litre or a combination of Mancozeb + Carbendazim provides good control.

Stem rot and collar rot 🔗

Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii, stem rot leads to wilting and plant death, especially in warm, moist conditions. Collar rot (Aspergillus niger) attacks seedlings at the collar region, causing damping off. The most effective preventive measure is seed treatment with Tebuconazole 2DS @ 1.5 g/kg seed combined with Trichoderma viride enriched in FYM. Crop rotation with cereals for 2-3 years helps reduce soil-borne pathogen load.

Peanut Bud Necrosis Disease (PBND) 🔗

PBND is a viral disease transmitted by thrips. It causes necrosis of terminal buds, stunting, and axillary shoot proliferation. Early sowing, maintaining optimum plant population, and using resistant varieties like Vijetha (R 2001-2) and ICGV 86388 are the best management strategies. Border cropping with fast-growing cereals like pearl millet (4 rows around the field) acts as a barrier against migrating thrips.

Harvesting and post-harvest handling 🔗

Groundnut is ready for harvest when 70-80% of the pods have matured, which is indicated by the inner shell turning dark brown or black and the kernels filling the pod completely. The crop is typically pulled by hand after a light irrigation or rain to soften the soil. In many areas, tractor-drawn diggers are used for faster harvesting.

After pulling, the plants are left in the field for 2-3 days of sun drying, with pods facing upward. Pods are then stripped from the plants and further dried to reduce moisture content to 8-10% for safe storage. Proper drying is critical to prevent aflatoxin contamination by Aspergillus flavus. Storing groundnut in clean, dry, well-ventilated godowns and maintaining seed moisture below 5% helps control storage pests like bruchids and rice moth.

Key takeaways for better groundnut yields 🔗

Successful groundnut cultivation depends on getting several factors right simultaneously. Choose a variety suited to your region and season. Prepare a well-drained, fine-tilth seedbed. Treat seeds with both fungicide and Rhizobium before sowing. Apply gypsum at the pegging stage for better pod filling. Keep the crop weed-free for the first 45 days. Monitor for pests like aphids, jassids, and thrips regularly, and use IPM strategies that combine biological control with need-based chemical sprays. Following these practices, as recommended by institutions like ICAR-AICRP on Groundnut, Indian farmers have demonstrated yield improvements of 23-42% over conventional practices.

What do you think? Given that groundnut is largely grown under rainfed conditions in India, how can farmers in your area better manage water stress during the critical pegging and pod-filling stages? And with the development of high oleic varieties like Girnar 4 and Girnar 5, do you see a shift toward premium-quality groundnut production becoming viable for smallholder farmers?

References

1. https://www.icrisat.org/crops/groundnut/overview
2. https://farmonaut.com/asia/groundnut-farming-in-india-best-seeds-practices-2026
3. https://plantix.net/en/blog/increasing-yields-in-groundnut-cultivation/
4. https://www.agrifarming.in/high-yielding-groundnut-varieties-in-india-hybrid-cultivars-for-increased-profits
5. https://journalarja.com/index.php/ARJA/article/view/509
6. https://agritech.tnau.ac.in/agriculture/CropProduction/Oilseeds/oilseeds_groundnut01.html
7. https://niphm.gov.in/IPMPackages/Groundnut.pdf
8. https://wikifarmer.com/library/en/article/groundnut-insects-pests-and-their-management
9. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1018488326980
10. https://www.agronomyjournals.com/archives/2025.v8.i10.F.4003
11. https://aicrp.icar.gov.in/gnut/achievements/major-achievements/