Peanuts are a go-to snack in Mzansi – on office desks, in school bags, or with workers in the fields. But what if you could grow your own? Yep, it’s totally doable with just a few simple steps and some care.
Imagine growing your own peanut plants for snacks, to add in meals, or even for agro-processing. Cool, right?
Peanuts, also known as groundnuts, are a type of legume crop that produces its pods or seeds underground.
The role of antioxidants in peanuts
According to Sibongile Jiyane, a plant pathologist based in Tshwane, flavonoids such as epicatechin and catechin, phenolic acids such as p-coumaric acid, and phytosterols are among the many antioxidants and bioactive compounds found in peanuts.
“The majority of these compounds are concentrated in the peanut skin, which serves as a barrier against environmental stressors.”
Sibongile Jiyane
Essentially, factors such as optimal soil composition, sufficient nutrient availability, moderate temperatures, and controlled exposure to environmental stressors like drought can encourage the peanut plant to produce higher amounts of these antioxidant compounds as a defence mechanism, explains Jiyane.
Genetic variables can cause variations in the quantities of health-promoting chemicals found in different peanut cultivars, she adds.
For instance, the colour of the peanut skin might reveal how much phenolic and flavonoid content is present.
“Compared to other peanut kinds, Valencia peanuts have stronger redness and hue values.”
Drying and storing peanuts
Jiyane says post-harvest processes like drying and storage are crucial for preserving the stability and potency of antioxidants and other beneficial compounds in peanuts.
She notes that improper drying can result in increased moisture content, which leads to microbial growth and further degrades nutrients, while proper storage conditions, such as low temperature and controlled humidity, can help preserve antioxidant activity in peanuts.
Groundnut gold
A production scientist based in Limpopo, Ngeletshedzo Makhaga, explains that peanuts are a summer crop predominantly grown in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal.
She says they are typically planted from mid-October to mid-November, and it takes about four months for the plants to reach maturity, depending on the cultivar.
Makhaga explains that peanuts have high economic value and fetch a good price on local markets.
“In Venda, groundnuts (nduhu) have traditionally been intercropped with maize or planted as a sole crop, as they are an important part of our diet,” she says.
Peanuts are often consumed as a snack and are key ingredients in traditional dishes like tshidzimba and dovhi. They can also be ground into a powder to enhance the flavour of indigenous vegetables.
Makhaga says peanuts can be grown under both dryland and irrigation conditions. It’s best not to plant them too early in the morning, but rather to wait for the soil to warm up.
Traditionally, farmers have heaped soil around the stem, believing it will improve yield. However, she says this practice has been found to reduce yield and damage the stem.
“Most farmers apply superphosphate to supplement phosphorus at planting, while nitrogen is applied at both planting and flowering.”
Ngeletshedzo Makhaga
She highlights that common pests, such as aphids and thrips, can be controlled through chemical spraying or biological control.
Traditionally, Makhaga says, peanuts have been and continue to be grown under rainfed conditions without inorganic fertilisers, with farmers using kraal manure as a natural fertiliser.
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Key practices and cultivars
Makhaga notes that accurate measurements are essential when applying fertilisers. Generally, 40 kg of phosphorus and smaller amounts of potassium per hectare are recommended for optimum yield.
As a legume, groundnuts require a low quantity of nitrogen, so a basal application of 20 kg N/ha is recommended, according to Makhaga.
She explains that groundnuts are susceptible to calcium deficiency, so the application of calcium is crucial. The best fertiliser application rate should be based on soil analysis.
“It requires care and is labour-intensive,” she says.
“The most important diseases are leaf spot and sclerotium stem rot, which are difficult to control.”
Makhaga adds that the early leaf spot is recognisable by the brown spots on the leaves, which are surrounded by a yellow halo. Chemical control can be effective when applied at the initial stage of the disease.
She shares that some scientifically recognised cultivars available in Mzansi include:
- Anel: Does well without irrigation
- KanGwane Red: Suitable for dryland
- Akwa: Performs best under irrigation
- Kwarts: Planted from November to mid-December
- Harts: Early maturity
- ARC Akwa Plus: Rated top performer
- ARC Sallie Plus: Rated top performer
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