PEANUT

(ARACHIS HYPOGAEA)

Peanut or mani is a ground cover leguminous plant. It is primarily grown for its nuts that can be eaten boiled or roasted, made into peanut butter, or as an ingredient in several Filipino dishes. Peanuts grow well in well-drained, loose, friable, and sandy loam soil with a pH ranging from 5.8 – 6.5. They grow in almost all Philippine climatic conditions and can be cultivated in any season with adequate irrigation. However, peanuts produce higher yields in dry months from October to March. In the absence of soil analysis, the recommendation of NPK is 30-30-30 per hectare. Before planting, four bags per hectare of complete fertilizer may be applied on furrows as basal fertilizer. Then side dress 2 to 6 bags of calcium nitrate 25 to 30 days after planting to minimize the occurrence of empty peanut pods.