Peanuts (groundnuts) are a familiar crop for Vietnamese farmers. Not only a rustic and nutritious food, peanuts also provide a stable income for many families. Growing peanuts is not difficult, but to achieve optimal yields, farmers need to master the proper planting and care techniques.
This article, from Nongnghiepvietnam.org, will share the secrets to high-yield peanut farming, based on our practical experience and professional knowledge.
When to Plant Peanuts?
Peanuts are a short-term crop that can be grown in multiple seasons throughout the year. However, for optimal growth and development, farmers should choose planting times that suit the climatic conditions of each region.
Riverine Alluvial Soil
- Winter-Spring Season: Sow from November 15th to December 15th, before the floodwaters recede.
- Summer-Autumn Season: Sow in April – May to harvest before the flood season.
Mountainous Soil
- Winter-Spring Season: Sow in November – December, taking advantage of the abundant water source after the rainy season.
- Summer-Autumn Season: Sow at the beginning of the rainy season, which is the main production season in mountainous areas.
- Autumn-Winter Season: Sow in high mountainous areas with good drainage. This season has lower yields and is mainly for seed production for the Winter-Spring season.
Northern Midlands and North Central Coast
- Spring Season:
- Northern Midlands and Delta: Sow from February to March 10th.
- Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh: Sow from the end of January to the end of February.
- Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue: Sow in January.
- Summer-Autumn Season:
- Northern Midlands and Delta: Sow in July and August.
- Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh: Sow in June.
- Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue: Sow in May-June.
- Autumn-Winter Season:
- Northern Midlands and Delta: Sow from the end of August to September.
- Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh: Sow from August 15th to September 15th.
- Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue: Sow from July 15th to August 15th.
Ideal Soil for Peanut Cultivation
Peanuts prefer loose, well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5 – 6.5 and a moisture content of around 75%. Therefore, soil preparation plays a crucial role in determining the growth and yield of the plants.
Soil Preparation Techniques
- Thorough Tilling: The soil needs to be thoroughly tilled to remove weeds and create looseness.
- Using Machinery: Farmers should use plows to till the soil to a depth of 25-30cm, which helps loosen the soil and also removes weeds quickly and effectively. For large areas, the Kubota Japanese tractor is an ideal choice.
Preparing the peanut field by tilling the soil to ensure it is loose and aerated.
Selecting Peanut Seeds
Seed Selection Criteria
Seed selection is the most important step, directly affecting the yield and quality of peanuts. Farmers should select seeds according to the following criteria:
- Uniform, large, plump seeds with bright shells and no scratches.
- Seeds that are not too old or too young.
- Disease-free seeds, free of impurities, with a high germination rate (over 90%).
- Do not shell the seeds before sowing.
Popular Peanut Varieties
Currently, there are many high-yielding peanut varieties suitable for the conditions of each region, such as: VD, VD2, L14, L18, ML25,…
Carefully selected peanut seeds ensuring quality, uniform size, and disease-free.
Seed Treatment Before Sowing
- Sowing in moist soil: Soak peanuts in water for 10-12 hours. In the Spring season, when the weather is cold, soak in warm water at 40-45 degrees Celsius (ratio of 2 boiling : 3 cold) for 12 hours. Then incubate in straw to germinate before sowing.
- Sowing in dry soil: Sprinkle water on the seeds until evenly moist and sow directly.
Note: Cover the seeds with 3-5cm of soil, do not let the sprouts grow too long.
Sowing Density
Sow seeds at a moderate density, not too thick or too thin. The appropriate planting distance is:
- 30cm between rows.
- 10cm between plants.
- 1 seed per hole.
The ideal planting density is 33 plants/m2.
Ridging for Peanut Planting
Farmers can apply one of the following two ridging methods:
- 1.2m wide ridges: 0.3m wide furrows, 15-20cm high. Each ridge has 4 rows 30cm apart, with the two outer rows 15cm from the edge of the ridge.
- 0.6m wide ridges: 0.3m wide furrows, 15-20cm high. Each ridge has 2 rows 30cm apart, with the two outer rows 15cm from the edge of the ridge.
Peanut Planting Techniques
Planting Peanuts in the Summer-Autumn and Autumn-Winter Seasons
- Ridge the field and create rows 8-10cm deep.
- Apply manure and inorganic fertilizer to the furrows, cover with soil, leaving a depth of 3-4cm.
- Spray herbicide on the ridge surface.
- Gently rake the soil from both sides of the ridge towards the furrow using a hoe.
- Cover the ridge surface with nylon, and cover the edges of the nylon with soil from the furrow to secure it.
- Make holes for sowing seeds, 20-25cm apart, with rows 25-30cm apart.
- Sow seeds into the holes.
Planting Peanuts in the Spring Season
The Spring season has some differences compared to the Summer-Autumn and Autumn-Winter seasons:
- Ridge the field and create rows 8-10cm deep.
- Apply manure and inorganic fertilizer to the furrows, cover with soil, leaving a depth of 3-4cm.
- Sow seeds, 20-25cm apart, with rows 25-30cm apart.
- Spray herbicide on the ridge surface.
- Gently rake the soil from both sides of the ridge towards the furrow using a hoe.
- Cover the ridge surface with nylon, and cover the edges of the nylon with soil from the furrow to secure it.
- When the sprouts emerge from the ground, cut the nylon to allow the plants to grow.
Simple Peanut Plant Care Tips
Replanting
3-5 days after sowing, check the field and replant in areas where seeds have not germinated. At the same time, thin out plants in areas that are too dense, ensuring a reasonable plant density.
Weeding
- 1-3 days after sowing: Spray specialized herbicides.
- When plants have 3-6 leaves: Weed a second time, herbicides can be used.
- Later stages: Weed manually as needed.
Earthing Up and Hoeing
- When seeds germinate: Gently loosen the soil around the base of the plants to help the cotyledons emerge from the ground.
- 13 days after sowing: Hoe and loosen the soil, combined with fertilizing the plants.
- When plants flower: Earth up the plants to help them bear fruit better.
Watering
Maintain soil moisture at approximately 75%. If the weather is dry, water the plants, especially during the flowering stage. Sprinkler or furrow irrigation can be used depending on the conditions.
Fertilizing
- Basal application: Apply organic fertilizer before sowing, combined with weeding, hoeing, and leaving the soil fallow for 15 days before sowing.
- Topdressing: Fertilize twice:
- First application: 10-15 days after sowing.
- Second application: 25-30 days after sowing.
Use NPK fertilizer at a rate of 20-30kg/1,000m2/application.
Pest and Disease Control in Peanuts
Pests
- Cutworms: Bite leaves and stems of young plants.
- Control measures: Handpick or spray with insecticides: Match 50ND, Sherpa 25EC,…
- Armyworms: Damage leaves.
- Control measures: Field sanitation, use of fermented bait, handpicking, spraying insecticides: Ofatox 40EC, Fastac,…
- Aphids: Suck plant sap.
- Control measures: Field sanitation, balanced fertilization, use of natural enemies, spraying insecticides: Ofatox 50EC, Trebon 10EC,…
- Leafrollers: Roll and damage leaves.
- Control measures: Handpick or spray with insecticides: Match 50ND, Sherpa 25EC,…
Diseases
- Bacterial wilt: Plants wilt and die, but the leaves remain green.
- Control measures: Field sanitation, removal of diseased plants, crop rotation, use of resistant varieties, application of lime powder.
- Stem rot: Collar, roots, and base of the stem turn dark brown, plants gradually wilt and die.
- Control measures: Soil treatment with lime powder, crop rotation, spraying fungicides: Rovral 50WP, Ridomil,…
Harvesting and Storing Peanuts
Harvesting
When the leaves change color, pull up a few plants to check. If 2/3 of the pods are mature, harvest. If you want to sell fresh peanuts, harvest 10-15 days earlier.
Farmers harvesting peanuts in the field.
Storage
- Storing commercial peanuts: Dry and store in a cool, dry, and ventilated place.
- Storing peanut seeds: Select large, uniform, mature pods that rattle when shaken and have easily removable skins. Dry thoroughly (10-12% moisture content), store in a cool, dry, and ventilated place. Redry every 3 months.
Harvested peanuts being dried under the sun.
Conclusion
Above are detailed instructions on techniques for planting and caring for peanuts for high yields. We hope this article is helpful to farmers.
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