Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is known by many names, including peanut, earthnut, monkey nut and poor man’s nut. Although groundnut is native to South America, it is successfully grown in other parts of the world and has become an important oil seed and food crop in tropical, sub-tropical and warm temperate zones. Most groundnut is grown in India and China. Millions of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa also grow groundnut, for food and as a cash crop.
Origin and use
Groundnut originated in an area spanning southern Bolivia and northwest Argentina. Indian tribes probably domesticated groundnut long before the Spanish Conquest. Spanish traders spread the groundnut to Asia and Africa and it is now grown in over 100 countries around the world.
About one-third of the groundnut produced globally is eaten and two-thirds are crushed for oil. The residue from processing groundnut for oil is used as an animal feed and fertilizer. Oils and solvents derived from groundnut are used in medicines, textiles, cosmetics, nitro-glycerine, plastics, dyes, paints, varnishes, lubricating oils, leather dressings, furniture polish, insecticides and soap. Groundnut shells are a raw material in the manufacture of plastic, wallboard, abrasives, fuel, cellulose and glue. Groundnut can also be used as a feedstock for biodiesel. The stems and leaves are fed to livestock. Like other legumes, groundnut roots have nodules containing bacteria that fix nitrogen in the soil and make it more fertile.
Production
Groundnut was grown on over 25 million hectares in 2010. Total production was 37.64 million metric tons. China, India, Nigeria, USA and Myanmar are the major groundnut growing countries. Developing countries in Asia, Africa and South America account for 97% of the area of groundnut and 95% of total production. Together, Nigeria and Senegal account for about 45% of total African production. Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are also important groundnut producers. Over the last decade, the share of groundnut produced by developing countries has grown and this trend is expected to continue for the next three decades.
Between 2000 and 2009, production in Myanmar grew by 5.3% a year to reach 1.36 million tons in 2009. In Africa, yields increased from 600-800 kilograms per hectare in the 1980s to 900-1050 kilograms a hectare between 2000 and 2009.
The main constraints hampering higher yields and better quality in Africa are intermittent drought due to erratic rainfall and terminal drought during maturation. Yield losses from drought run to millions of dollars each year.
Nutrition
Groundnut is rich in oil and protein, and has a high energy value. It can be eaten raw, roasted or cooked and the flour is an ingredient in many foods. Groundnut is important in vegetarian diets because of the protein it contains. It provides 13 different vitamins, especially A, the B group, C and E, along with 26 essential trace minerals, including calcium, iron, zinc and boron, and dietary fiber. Relief agencies supply groundnut pastes to alleviate malnourishment in droughts and famines, particularly in children.
Groundnut is prone to the fungus Aspergillus flavus that produces aflatoxin, a group of toxins that occurs naturally and can be harmful to humans and animals in large amounts. High levels of aflatoxin in groundnut can hamper exports of groundnut from developing countries.
Impact of CGIAR Centers
Since 1986, national agricultural research organizations, partnering with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), have released 70 improved varieties of groundnut in 14 countries in Asia, including 23 in India, and 68 improved varieties in 22 countries in Africa.
In India, a drought tolerant groundnut variety introduced by ICRISAT through farmer-participatory varietal selection is now planted on 25,000 hectares of the 0.8 million hectare groundnut area in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. It has been released for cultivation in other two states, Orissa and Karnataka. Spring-season cultivation of groundnut is expanding in North India and, in 2010 in Uttar Pradesh, reached 261,950 hectares.
In Vietnam, ICRISAT introduced new autumn-winter varieties. These increased yields from 1,620 kilograms a hectare in 2002 to 2,110 kilograms a hectare in 2009. Groundnut production increased from 0.40 to 0.52 million metric tons.
In China, varieties resistant to bacterial wilt developed by ICRISAT and Chinese partners are replacing local varieties in Hubei province. A high yielding variety was recently released for cultivation.
Although Sub-Saharan Africa has 40% of the total area planted with groundnut, it produces only 25% of total world production and the quality is poor. Yields are low, 0.95 metric tons a hectare, compared to 1.8 metric tons a hectare in Asia, and an average global yield of 1.56 metric tons a hectare in 2010. One of the main reasons for low yields and poor quality is drought. ICRISAT teamed with farmers in Mali, Niger and Nigeria from 2007 to 2010 to find varieties that cope with erratic rainfall. Four varieties were released in Niger.
In Uganda, farmers-turned-seed-producers are growing and marketing seed of improved groundnut introduced by ICRISAT. This means more farmers can get hold of the new varieties. In 2007 more than half the area of groundnut in Uganda was planted with improved varieties. In Malawi, improved varieties have replaced older varieties and local landraces, and now take up more than 60% of the groundnut area.
ICRISAT and partners have developed crop and post-harvest management practices that can reduce the risks of aflatoxin. These, together with improved varieties, help farmers prevent aflatoxin contamination in their groundnut crops.
Sources and more information
- ICRISAT website. Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)
- Talawar, S. 2004. Peanut in India: History, production, and utilization. Peanut in Local and Global Food Systems Series Report No. 5. University of Georgia 2004.
- Integrated Breeding Platform website.
- Nautiyal, P.C. 2002. Groundnut: Post-harvest Operations. National Research Centre for Groundnut (ICAR).
- ICRISAT 2004. On Farm Management of Aflatoxin Contamination of Groundnut in West Africa. ICRISAT flyer.
- Wu, F., Narrod, C., Tiongco, M. and Liu, Y. 2011. The health economics of aflatoxin: global burden of disease. Working Paper 4. IFPRI.
- Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics. Groundnut Production Practices new – Groundnut and Your Health.
- ICRISAT website on Aspergillus and Aflatoxin in Groundnut.