Difference between revisions of "Peanut"

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{{for|other uses|Peanut (disambiguation)}}
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__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
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{{Taxobox
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| name = ''Arachis hypogaea''
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| color = lightgreen
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| common_names = Peanut
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| name = Peanut Classification
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| growth_habit = ?  <!--- tree, shrub, herbaceous, vine, etc -->
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| image = Koeh-163.jpg
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| high = ?  <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->
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| image_width = 240px
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| wide =    <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
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| image_caption = Peanut (''Arachis hypogea'')
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| origin = ?  <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->
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| regnum = [[Plantae]]
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| poisonous =    <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->
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| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
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| lifespan =    <!--- perennial, annual, etc -->
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| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
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| exposure = ?  <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) -->
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| ordo = [[Fabales]]
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| water = ?  <!--- frequent, regular, moderate, drought tolerant, let dry then soak -->
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| familia = [[Fabaceae]]
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| features =    <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->
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| subfamilia = [[Faboideae]]
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| hardiness =    <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
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| tribus = [[Aeschynomeneae]]
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| bloom =    <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->
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| genus = ''[[Arachis]]''
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| usda_zones = ?  <!--- eg. 8-11 -->
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| species = '''''A. hypogaea'''''
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| sunset_zones =     <!--- eg. 8, 9, 12-24, not available -->
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| binomial = ''Arachis hypogaea''
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| color = IndianRed
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| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
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| image = Peanut 9417.jpg
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}}
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| image_width = 240px   <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->
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The '''peanut''', or '''groundnut''' (''Arachis hypogaea'') is a species in the [[legume]] family [[Fabaceae]] native to [[South America]]. It is an [[annual plant|annual]] [[herbaceous]] plant growing to 30 to 50 cm (1 to 1½ feet) tall. The [[leaf|leaves]] are opposite, [[pinnate]] with four leaflets (two opposite pairs; no terminal leaflet), each leaflet 1 to 7 cm (⅜ to 2¾ in) long and 1 to 3 cm (⅜ to 1 inch) broad. The [[flower]]s are a typical peaflower in shape, 2 to 4 cm (¾ to 1½ in) across, yellow with reddish veining. After [[pollination]], the [[fruit]] develops into a [[legume]] 3 to 7 cm (1 to 2 in) long containing 1 to 3 (rarely 4) [[seed]]s, which forces its way underground to mature.
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| image_caption = Peanut leaves and freshly dug pods
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| regnum = Plantae
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| divisio = Magnoliophyta
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| classis = Magnoliopsida
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| ordo = Fabales
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| familia = Fabaceae
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| tribus = Aeschynomeneae
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| genus = Arachis
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| species = hypogaea
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}}
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{{Inc|
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[[Image:Koeh-163.jpg|thumb|225px|Peanut (''Arachis hypogea'')]]
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Peanut (Arachis hypoyaea). Popularly the peanut, as the name
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indicates, is called a nut, but it more properly falls into the class
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of grain or forage crops. The fruit or "nut" is really a pod,  
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comparable with a bean-pod or pea-pod. The plant is related to beans
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and peas. The seeds (comparable with bean seeds) furnish excellent
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food for man as well as for his beasts and fowls, and the cured tops
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make an excellent hay or forage.
  
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Although a [[nut (fruit)|nut]] in the culinary sense, in the [[botany|botanical]] sense the fruit of the peanut is a woody, indehiscent legume or pod and ''not'' a nut.  
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Commercially, the peanut is not grown north of the latitude of
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Washington, D. C., but on the sandy and loamy soils to the south and
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west of the above-named city, on lands that have recently been limed,
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it may be used as a rotation or as a special money crop. North of
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this territory the plant can be used with profit as a forage for
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hogs, although only a portion of the pods set will come to maturity.
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As a garden plant, the peanut can be grown as far north as central
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New York, but only a few pods will actually mature seeds, except in
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long warm growing seasons.
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There are two general types of peanuts: those known as bunch nuts,
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and as vine or trailing nuts. The bunch nuts are most desirable
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because the tops can be more easily harvested for forage, the rows
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may be closer together and the distance between the plants in the row
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may be less than with the vining types. The cultivation as well as
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the harvesting (digging) is easier. The bunch type of nuts, such as
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the Spanish and Valencia, may be planted in rows 30 to 36 inches
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apart, with the seeds scattered 6 to 10 inches apart along the row.
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The large-seeded thick-shelled nuts require to be shelled before
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planting in order to insure satisfactory germination, but the smaller
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thin-shelled sorts may be planted whole and a good stand secured. The
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planting season, as well as the field care of peanuts, is practically
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the same as for corn. They are tender to frost and grow best during
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warm weather. The vines will be killed by the first frosts, but when
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desired for forage should be harvested in advance of that date. As
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the pods or nuts are borne beneath the surface of the soil, the crop
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is harvested by lifting or plowing out the whole plant, separating it
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from the earth and curing the plant and pods together by stacking
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them in tall narrow stacks built up around a slender stake about 6
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feet high, at the bottom of which cleats 3 feet long have been nailed
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in such a way as to keep the plants off the ground. The stacks are so
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built as to cause the vines to protect the nuts. The roots with the
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nuts attached are placed next to the stake, with the tops out. This
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method permits the nuts to be cured slowly and without discoloration
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or staining that would result were the nuts exposed to the weather.
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The plant is a most interesting one, both horticulturally and
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botanically, and is at the same time an important economic crop as
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well as a garden novelty. {{SCH}}
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}}
  
 
Peanuts are also known as '''earthnuts''', '''goobers''', '''goober peas''', '''pindas''', '''jack nuts''', '''pinders''', '''manila nuts''' and '''monkey balls'''. (The last of these is often used to mean the entire pod, not just the seeds. In the UK these are sold as '''monkey nuts'''.)
 
Peanuts are also known as '''earthnuts''', '''goobers''', '''goober peas''', '''pindas''', '''jack nuts''', '''pinders''', '''manila nuts''' and '''monkey balls'''. (The last of these is often used to mean the entire pod, not just the seeds. In the UK these are sold as '''monkey nuts'''.)
  
 
==Cultivation==
 
==Cultivation==
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{{Unreferenced|date=March 2007}}
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{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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[[Image:Peanut closeup.jpg|thumb|250px|Textural detail]]
 
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Evidence demonstrates that peanuts were [[domestication|domesticated]] in prehistoric times in [[South America]], where wild ancestors are still found. Cultivation spread as far as Mesoamerica where the Spanish conquistadors found the ''tlalcacahuatl'' ([[Nahuatl]]="earth cacao"=peanut, whence [[Mexican Spanish]], ''cacahuate'' and French, cacahuète) being offered for sale in the marketplace of [[Tenochtitlan]] ([[Mexico City]]), as they are still offered by street vendors there today.  The plant was later spread worldwide by [[Europe]]an traders. Cultivation in the English colonies of North America was popularized by [[African American]]s, who brought the [[Kikongo]] word "goober".
 
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In South America, the peanut (called there ''maní'' or ''amendoim'' in [[Brazil]]) is thought to have first grown in Argentina or Bolivia, where the wildest strains grow today.
 
  
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The peanut gained Western popularity when it came to the United States from Africa. It had become popular in Africa after being brought there from Brazil by the Portuguese.
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===Propagation===
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{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
  
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[[Image:Peanuts.jpg|thumb|Peanuts, showing legumes, one split open revealing two seeds with their brown seed coats]]
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===Pests and diseases===
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The flower of the ''Arachis hypogaea'' is borne above ground and after it withers, the stalk elongates, bends down, and forces the ovary underground. When the seed is mature, the inner lining of the pods (called the seed coat) changes color from white to a reddish brown. The entire plant, including most of the roots, is removed from the soil during harvesting.
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{{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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The pods begin in the orange veined, yellow petaled, pea-like flowers, which are borne in axillary clusters above ground. Following [[self-pollination]], the flowers fade. The stalks at the bases of the ovaries, called pegs, elongate rapidly, and turn downward to bury the fruits several inches in the ground to complete their development.
 
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The pods act in nutrient absorption. The fruits have wrinkled shells that are constricted between the two to three seeds. The mature seeds resemble other legume seeds, such as beans, but they have paper-thin seed coats, as opposed to the usual, hard legume seed coats.
 
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Peanuts grow best in light, sandy loam soil. They require five months of warm weather, and an annual rainfall of 500 to 1000 mm (20 to 40 in) or the equivalent in irrigation water.
 
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The pods ripen 120 to 150 days after the seeds are planted. If the crop is harvested too early, the pods will be unripe. If they are harvested late, the pods will snap off at the stalk, and will remain in the soil.
 
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Peanuts are particularly susceptible to contamination during growth and storage.  Poor storage of peanuts can lead to an infection by the [[mold]] [[fungus]] ''[[Aspergillus flavus]]'', releasing the [[Toxicity|toxic]] substance [[aflatoxin]].  The aflatoxin producing molds exist throughout the peanut growing areas and may produce aflatoxin in peanuts when conditions are favorable to fungal growth.
 
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Harvesting peanuts occurs in two stages. First a machine is used to cut off the main root of the peanut plant by cutting through the soil just below the level of the peanut pods. Then the same machine lifts the "bush" from the ground and shakes it. Then the machine inverts the bush to leave the plant upside down on the ground to keep the peanuts out of the dirt. This allows the peanuts to slowly dry to a bit less than a third of their original moisture level over a period of 2-3 weeks while they are left updside down on the field.
 
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After the peanuts have dried sufficiently, they will then be threshed. This removes the peanut pods from the rest of the bush.<ref>[http://www.pca.com.au/articles.php?rc=68 How peanuts are Grown - Harvesting - PCA], retrieved 2007-04-25.</ref>
 
  
 
==Cultivars==
 
==Cultivars==
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[[Image:Peanut 9417.jpg|thumb|225px|Peanut leaves and freshly dug pods]]
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Thousands of peanut [[cultivar]]s are grown, with four major [[cultivar|Cultivar Groups]] being the most popular: Spanish, Runner, Virginia, and Valencia{{wp}}. There are also Tennessee Red and Tennessee White groups{{wp}}. Certain Cultivar Groups are preferred for particular uses because of differences in flavor, oil content, size, shape, and disease resistance. For many uses the different cultivars are interchangeable. Most peanuts marketed in the shell are of the Virginia type, along with some Valencias selected for large size and the attractive appearance of the shell. Spanish peanuts are used mostly for peanut candy, salted nuts, and [[peanut butter]]. Most Runners are used to make peanut butter.{{wp}}
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Thousands of peanut [[cultivar]]s are grown, with four major [[cultivar|Cultivar Groups]] being the most popular: Spanish, Runner, Virginia, and Valencia. There are also Tennessee Red and Tennessee White groups. Certain Cultivar Groups are preferred for particular uses because of differences in flavor, oil content, size, shape, and disease resistance. For many uses the different cultivars are interchangeable. Most peanuts marketed in the shell are of the Virginia type, along with some Valencias selected for large size and the attractive appearance of the shell. Spanish peanuts are used mostly for peanut candy, salted nuts, and [[peanut butter]]. Most Runners are used to make peanut butter.
 
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The various types are distinguished by branching habit and branch length. There are numerous varieties of each type of peanut. There are two main growth forms, bunch and runner. Bunch types grow upright, while runner types grow near the ground.
 
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Each year new cultivars of peanuts are bred and introduced somewhere in the peanut belt of the U.S. or in other countries. Introducing a new cultivar may mean change in the planting rate, adjusting the planter, harvester, dryer, cleaner, sheller, and method of marketing.
 
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===Spanish group===
 
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The small Spanish types are grown in [[South Africa]], and in the southwestern and southeastern U.S. Prior to [[1940]], 90 % of the peanuts grown in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] were Spanish types, but the trend since then has been larger seeded, higher yielding, more disease resistant cultivars. Spanish peanuts have a higher oil content than other types of peanuts and in the U.S. are now primarily grown in [[Oklahoma]] and [[Texas]].
 
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Cultivars of the Spanish group include 'Dixie Spanish', 'Improved Spanish 2B', 'GFA Spanish', 'Argentine', 'Spantex', 'Spanette', 'Shaffers Spanish', 'Natal Common (Spanish)', 'White Kernel Varieties', 'Starr', 'Comet', 'Florispan', 'Spanhoma', 'Spancross', and 'Wilco I'.
 
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===Runner group===
 
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Since [[1940]], there has been a shift to production of Runner group peanuts in the southeastern U.S. Runners are found in Georgia, [[Alabama]], [[Florida]], and [[South Carolina]]. This shift is due to good flavor, better roasting characteristics and higher yields when compared to Spanish types leading to food manufacturers' preference for use in peanut butter and salting.
 
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Cultivars of Runners include 'Southeastern Runner 56-15', 'Dixie Runner', 'Early Runner', 'Virginia Bunch 67', 'Bradford Runner', 'Egyptian Giant' (also known as 'Virginia Bunch' and 'Giant'), 'Rhodesian Spanish Bunch' (Valencia and Virginia Bunch), 'North Carolina Runner 56-15' and 'Florunner'.
 
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[[Image:peanutjar.jpg|thumb|Roasted peanuts as snack food]]
 
  
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===Virginia group===
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The various types are distinguished by branching habit and branch length. There are numerous varieties of each type of peanut. There are two main growth forms, bunch and runner. Bunch types grow upright, while runner types grow near the ground.{{wp}}
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The large seeded Virginia Group peanuts are grown in [[Virginia]], [[North Carolina]], [[Tennessee]], and parts of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. They are increasing in popularity due to demand for large peanuts for processing, particularly for salting, confections, and roasting in the shells.
 
  
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Virginia Group peanuts are either bunch or running in growth habit. The bunch type is upright to spreading. It attains a height of 45 to 55 cm (18 to 22 inches), and a spread of 70 to 80 cm (28 to 30 in), with 80 to 90 cm (33 to 36 in) rows that seldom cover the ground. The pods are borne within 5 to 10 cm of the base of the plant.
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==Gallery==
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{{photo-sources}}<!-- remove this line if there are already 3 or more photos in the gallery  -->
  
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Cultivars of Virginia type peanuts include NC 7, NC 9, NC 10C, NC-V 11, VA 93B, NC 12C, VA-C 92R, Gregory, VA 98R, Perry, Wilson, Georgia Green and Shulamit
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<gallery>
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Image:Peanuts with skin.jpg|De-shelled Peanuts with skin
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===Valencia group===
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Image:Peanuts.jpg|Peanuts, showing legumes, one split open revealing two seeds with their brown seed coats
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Valencia Group peanuts are coarse, and they have heavy reddish stems and large foliage. In the U.S. large commercial production is primarily in Eastern [[New Mexico]], but they are grown on a small scale elsewhere in the South as the best flavored and preferred type for [[boiled peanuts]]. They are comparatively tall, having a height of 125 cm (50 inches) and a spread of 75 cm (30 inches). Peanut pods are borne on pegs arising from the main stem and the side branches. Most of the pods are clustered around the base of the plant, and only a few are found several inches away. Valencia types are three seeded and smooth, with no constriction between the seeds. Seeds are oval and tightly crowded into the pods. There are two strains, one with flesh and the other with red seeds. Typical seed weight is 0.4 to 0.5 g.
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Image:Peanut closeup.jpg|Textural detail
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</gallery>
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===Tennessee Red and Tennessee White groups===
 
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These are alike, except for the color of the seed. The plants are similar to Valencia types, except that the stems are green to greenish brown, and the pods are rough, irregular, and have a smaller proportion of kernels.
 
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==Uses==
 
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[[Image:Peanut products.jpg|thumb|300px|Peanuts are found in a wide range of grocery products.]]
 
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Peanuts for edible uses account for two-thirds of the total peanut consumption in the United States. The principal uses are salted, shelled nuts, [[peanut butter]] (popular in [[peanut butter and jelly sandwich|sandwiches]]), [[peanut brittle]], [[candy bar]]s, and nuts that have been roasted in the shell. Salted peanuts are usually roasted in oil and packed in retail size, plastic bags or hermetically sealed cans. Dry roasted, salted peanuts are also marketed in significant quantities. The primary use of peanut butter is in the home, but large quantities are also used in the commercial manufacture of sandwiches, candy, and bakery products. [[Boiled peanuts]] are a preparation of raw, unshelled green peanuts boiled in brine and typically eaten as a snack in the southern United States where most peanuts are grown.
 
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[[Peanut oil]] is often used in cooking, because it has a mild flavor and burns at a relatively high temperature. Under the name ''[[Plumpy'nut]]'' 100 g (3.5 ounces), two small bags per day are given by the [[World Health Organization]] as a surviving base to many children in Africa. Peanuts are often a major ingredient in [[mixed nuts]] because of their inexpensiveness compared to [[Brazil nut]]s, [[cashew]]s, [[walnut]]s, and so on. The U.S. airline industry used to be a relatively large purchaser of peanuts for serving during flights (6 million lb / 3 million kg annually) before the nuts were removed from flights by many airlines (largely due to allergy concerns, but also due to cost).<ref>[http://www.tufts.edu/tie/tci/airtravel.htm Removal of peanuts from U.S. airlines]</ref>
 
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Peanuts are also very widely sold for garden [[bird]] feeding. Low grade or culled peanuts not suitable for the edible market are used in the production of peanut oil, seed and feed, although some owners of pet [[hookbill]]s avoid these kinds for that reason.<!--??What reason. This statement is unclear-->
 
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Peanuts have a variety of industrial end uses. Paint, varnish, lubricating oil, leather dressings, furniture polish, insecticides, and nitroglycerin are made from peanut oil. Soap is made from [[Saponification|saponified]] oil, and many cosmetics contain peanut oil and its derivatives. The protein portion of the oil is used in the manufacture of some textile fibers.
 
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Peanut shells are put to use in the manufacture of plastic, wallboard, abrasives, and fuel. They are also used to make cellulose (used in rayon and paper) and mucilage (glue).
 
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Peanut plant tops are used to make [[hay]]. The protein cake (oilcake meal) residue from oil processing is used as an animal feed and as a soil fertilizer.
 
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==Nutritional value==
 
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{{nutritionalvalue | name=Peanut, valencia, raw | kJ=2385| protein=25.09 g | fat=47.58 g | carbs=20.91 g | fiber=8.7 g | | sugars=0.0 g | iron_mg=2.09 | calcium_mg=62 | magnesium_mg=184 | phosphorus_mg=336 | potassium_mg=332 | zinc_mg=3.34 | vitC_mg=0.0 | pantothenic_mg=1.809 | vitB6_mg=0.34 | folate_ug=246 | thiamin_mg=0.639 | riboflavin_mg=0.30 | niacin_mg=12.875 | right=1 | source_usda=1 }}
 
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Peanuts are a rich source of [[protein]] (roughly 30 grams per cup after roasting) and [[monounsaturated fat]]. Recent research on peanuts and nuts in general has found anti-oxidants and other chemicals that may provide health benefits.<ref> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4194275.stm Health benefits of consuming peanuts]</ref> Peanuts are a significant source of [[resveratrol]], a chemical studied for potential anti-aging effects.
 
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Because peanuts are considered an incomplete protein, containing relatively low amounts of the [[essential amino acid]]s [[lysine]], [[cystine]], and [[methionine]], it is advised to be sure that a diet or meal with peanuts as a staple also include complementary foods such as dairy or whole grain.
 
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Peanuts are also an unbalanced source of [[fat]] because they are devoid of required [[Omega-3 fatty acid|Omega-3 fats]].<ref name=NIHefaeducationpage>Essential Fats in Food Oils, NIH page - http://efaeducation.nih.gov/sig/esstable.html</ref>  Some brands of peanut butter are fortified with [[Omega-3 fatty acid|Omega-3]] in the form of [[flaxseed oil]] to balance the ratio of [[Omega-3 fatty acid|Omega-3]] to [[Omega-6 fatty acid|Omega-6]].
 
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Peanuts may be contaminated with the [[mold]] ''[[Aspergillus flavus]]'' which produces a [[carcinogenic]] substance called [[Aflatoxin#Pathology|aflatoxin]].  While this substance quickly causes liver cancer in rats, humans are far more resistant.  Lower quality specimens, particularly where [[mold]] is evident, are more likely to be contaminated.<ref>Morinaga & Co., ''Proportion of aflatoxin B1 contaminated kernels and its concentration in imported peanut samples'' 2001 Aug;42(4):237-42. (PMID 11817138)</ref>  To minimise this problem, make sure to obtain your peanuts from a reputable source, and store the peanuts in a cool dry place such as the refrigerator or freezer.
 
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==Allergies==
 
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{{mainarticle|Peanut allergy}}
 
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[[Image:Peanuts with skin.jpg|thumb|right|200px|De-shelled Peanuts with skin]]
 
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Although many people enjoy foods made with peanuts, some people have severe [[allergy|allergic reactions]]. For people with peanut allergy, exposure can cause fatal [[anaphylaxis|anaphylactic shock]]. For these individuals, eating a single peanut or just breathing the dust from peanuts can cause a fatal reaction.  An allergic reaction also can be triggered by eating foods that have been processed with machines that have previously processed peanuts, making avoiding such foods difficult.
 
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A theory of the development of peanut allergy has to do with the way that peanuts are processed in North America versus other countries like China and India. Peanuts are widely eaten in China and India but peanut allergies are almost unheard of there. According to a 2003 study, roasting peanuts, as more commonly done in North America, causes the major peanut allergen [[Ara h2]] to become a stronger inhibitor of the digestive enzyme [[trypsin]], making it more resistant to digestion.<ref name="July 2003 j. allergy and clinical immunology 112.1 190-195">Soheila J. Maleki, Olga Viquez, Thomas Jacks, Hortense Dodo, Elaine T. Champagne, Si-Yin Chung and Samuel J. Landry.  "The major peanut allergen, Ara h 2, functions as a trypsin inhibitor, and roasting enhances this function." ''Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology'' 112.1 (July 2003): 190-195.</ref> Additionally, this allergen has also been shown to protect Ara h1, another major peanut allergen, from digestion - a characteristic further enhanced by roasting.<ref name="July 2003 j. allergy and clinical immunology 112.1 190-195">ibid.</ref>
 
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Though the allergy can last a lifetime, another 2003 study indicates that 23.3% of children will outgrow a peanut allergy.<ref>David M. Fleischer, Mary Kay Conover-Walker, Lynn Christie, A.Wesley Burks and Robert A. Wood.  "The natural progression of peanut allergy: Resolution and the possibility of recurrence." ''Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology'' 112.1 (July 2003): 183-189.</ref>
 
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Peanut allergy has been ''associated'' with the use of skin preparations containing peanut oil among children, but the evidence is not regarded as conclusive.<ref>Lack G, Fox D, Northstone K, Golding J. N Engl J Med. 2003;348:977–985 [http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/114/2/S1/523 on-line]</ref> Peanut allergies have also been associated with family history and intake of soy products.<ref>ibid. (for "family history" and "use of soy products")</ref>
 
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Some [[school district]]s have banned peanuts, and there is now an experimental drug being tested to combat this allergy, called [[TNX-901]].
 
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As the peanut is a member of the [[legume]] family unrelated to other [[nut (fruit)|nuts]], individuals with peanut allergies may not be allergic to the other types of nuts, and vice-versa.
 
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==U.S. Department of Agriculture program==
 
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[[George Washington Carver]], an African-American agricultural researcher, is often credited with inventing 300 different uses for peanuts<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/gwca/expanded/peanut.htm List of By-Products From Peanuts By George Washington Carver (as compiled by the Carver Museum)]</ref>(which, contrary to popular belief, did not include [[peanut butter]] but did include salted peanuts). Carver was one of many USDA researchers<ref>Handy, R.B. 1895. Peanuts: Culture and Uses. USDA Farmers' Bulletin 25.</ref><ref>Newman, C.L. 1904. Peanuts. Fayetteville, Arkansas: Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.</ref><ref>Beattie, W.R. 1909. Peanuts. USDA Farmers' Bulletin 356.</ref><ref>Ferris, E.B. 1909. Peanuts. Agricultural College, Mississippi: Mississippi Agricultural Experiment Station.</ref><ref>Beattie, W.R. 1911. The Peanut. USDA Farmers' Bulletin 431.</ref><ref>Rich, J.P. 1915. Uses of the Peanut on the Home Table. Farmer's Bulletin 13. University of Texas, Austin.</ref><ref>Carver, G.W. 1916. How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption. Tuskegee Institute Experimental Station Bulletin 31. [http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/recipes/peanutrecipes.html on-line]</ref> who encouraged [[cotton]] farmers in the South to grow peanuts instead of, or in addition to cotton, because cotton had depleted so much nitrogen from the soil, and one of the peanut's properties as a legume is to put nitrogen back into the soil (a process known as [[nitrogen fixation]]). Rising demand for peanuts in the early 1900s was not due to Carver's products but to a shortage of plant oils due to World War I and the growing popularity of peanut butter, roasted peanuts and peanut candies.<ref>Pages 412-413 of "Crop Production : Evolution, History, and Technology." by C. Wayne Smith, 1995. (ISBN 0-471-07972-3)</ref> Peanut products originating in the early 1900s include many brands still sold today such as [[Planters]] peanuts (1906), [[Oh Henry!]] candy bar (1920), [[Baby Ruth]] candy bar (1920), [[Butterfinger]] candy bar (1923), [[Mr. Goodbar]] candy bar (1925), [[Reese's Peanut Butter Cup]] (1925), [[Peter Pan (peanut butter)]] (1928) and [[Skippy peanut butter]] (1932).
 
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Peanuts were designated by the [[Congress of the United States|U.S. Congress]] to be one of America's basic crops. In order to protect domestic industry by keeping prices artificially high, the [[United States Department of Agriculture]] (USDA) conducts a [[Program for Peanuts]]. Two USDA programs for domestic peanuts are the Price Support Program and the Production Adjustment Program (National Poundage Quota).  The Price Support Program consists of a two-tier price support system that is tied to a maximum weight quota. Domestic peanuts produced subject to the weight quota are supported at the higher of two prices, while peanuts over quota or those produced on farms not having a quota are supported at the lower rate. The quota support price acts as a floor price for domestic edible peanuts. For producers who fail to fill their quota in any given year, there is a maximum 10 % over marketing allowance for the subsequent year. Pursuant to the program, producers may place peanuts under [[nonrecourse debt|nonrecourse loan]] with the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) at the designated support price or they may privately contract for the sale of their crop.  It is also illegal under Federal Law to grow peanuts on more than one acre (4000 m²) of land for commercial consumption.  This effectively creates a peanut monopoly, as it is not economically feasible to grow peanuts on only one acre (4,000 m²) of land, while drastically increasing prices.
 
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==Cultivation in China==
 
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Although it has been suggested that a now unknown Old World species of peanut was cultivated in [[China]] from prehistoric times{{Fact|date=April 2007}}, the New World peanut seems to have been introduced there by [[Portugal|Portuguese]] traders in the 1600s (University of Georgia 2006) and another variety by American missionaries in the 1800s. They became popular and are featured in many Chinese dishes, often being boiled.  During the 1980s peanut production began to increase greatly so that today (2006) China is the world's largest peanut producer.  A major factor in this increase has been China's move away from a [[communist]] [[economic system]] toward a more [[free market]] system so that farmers are free to grow and market their crops as they decide (Yao 2004).
 
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The USDA reports:
 
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<blockquote>''The Government of China does not control or intervene in peanut production  or marketing.  It does not provide subsidies, either direct or indirect.    As an indication of the government’s lack of involvement in the peanut  industry, China’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) did not even mention peanuts  in its May 2003 report in which it outlined its strategic development plan for  major crops.'' (Butterworth 2003)</blockquote>
 
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== Trade==
 
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[[Image:RBOX 30437.jpg|thumb|250px|This railcar is going to a peanut industry. Peanuts are transported in [[bulk]] to their destination.]]
 
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The major producers/exporters of peanuts are the [[United States]], [[Argentina]], [[Sudan]], [[Senegal]], and [[Brazil]]. These five countries account for 71 % of total world exports. In recent years, the United States has been the leading exporter of peanuts. The major peanut importers are the [[European Union]] (EU), [[Canada]], and [[Japan]].  These three areas account for 78 % of the world's imports.
 
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Although [[India]] and [[China]] are the world's largest producers of peanuts, they account for a small part of international trade because most of their production is consumed domestically as [[peanut oil]]. Exports of peanuts from India and China are equivalent to less than 4% of world trade.
 
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Ninety percent of India's production is processed into peanut oil. Only a nominal amount of hand-picked select-grade peanuts are exported. India prohibits the importation of all oil seeds, including peanuts.
 
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The European Union is the largest consuming region in the world that does not produce peanuts. All of its consumption is supplied by imports. Consumption of peanuts in the EU is primarily as food, mostly as roasted-in-shell peanuts and as shelled peanuts used in confectionery and bakery products.
 
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The average annual U.S. imports of peanuts are less than 0.5 % of U.S. consumption. Two thirds of U.S. imports are roasted, unshelled peanuts. The major suppliers are [[Taiwan]], [[Malaysia]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Mainland China]], and [[Canada]]. The principal suppliers of shelled peanut imports are [[Argentina]] and [[Canada]]. Most of Canada's peanut butter is processed from Chinese peanuts. Imports of peanut butter from Argentina are in the form of a paste and must be further processed in the U.S. Other minor suppliers of peanut butter include [[Malawi]], [[China]], [[India]], and [[Singapore]].
 
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Approximately 50 % of all peanuts produced in the United States are grown within a 160 km (100 mile) radius of [[Dothan, Alabama]]. Dothan is home to the National Peanut Festival established in 1938 and held each fall to honor peanut growers and celebrate the harvest.
 
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==Full Belly Project==
 
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{{main|Full Belly Project|Malian peanut sheller}}
 
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[[Image:RachelAndMachine.jpg|thumb|300px|The Malian peanut sheller in Uganda, 2005]]
 
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It is estimated that half-a-billion people on Earth rely on the peanut as their primary source of [[protein]]. Most of these people are small land-holding farmers in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia.  The main factor limiting their ability to increase their output has been that they lack the technological infrastructure to shell peanuts at a cost-efficient rate. The job is usually delegated to women and children, who shell only about 1.5 [[kg]] (3.3 lbs) per hour. In 2005 an organization of former [[Peace Corps]] volunteers known as the Full Belly Project designed an inexpensive, hand-powered peanut sheller, known as the "[[Universal Nut Sheller]]" that can shell peanuts at around 55 kg per hour. The designs for the machine are in the [[public domain]], and the organization hopes to create more [[appropriate technology]] for [[sustainable development]] in the future. Other inventions presently in research and development include a [[maize|corn]] cracker and a [[soymilk]] maker. The main designer of the Malian peanut sheller and other Full Belly Project inventions is author and film technician [[Jock Brandis]].
 
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==Footnotes==
 
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<references/>
 
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==References==
 
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* Butterworth, J. & Wu, X.,  "China, Peoples Republic of  Oilseeds and Products China's Peanut Sector" 2003 USDA Foreign Agricultural Service GAIN Report
 
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* [http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_Peanut_Subsidies Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), "Peanut Program" ]
 
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* [http://www.icrisat.org/GroundNut/GroundNut.htm International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), "Groundnut (peanut)"]
 
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* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/peanut.html Putnam, D.H. & Oplinger, E.S., "Peanut", 1991, Center for Alternative Plant and Animal Products, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN]
 
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* [http://lanra.anthro.uga.edu/peanut University of Georgia, "World Geography of the Peanut", 2006]
 
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* Yao, G., "Peanut Production and Utilization in the People's Republic of China", 2004, University of Georgia
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
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*[[BBCH-scale (peanut)]]
 
 
*[[List of edible seeds]]
 
*[[List of edible seeds]]
 
*[[List of peanut diseases]]
 
*[[List of peanut diseases]]
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*[[Jimmy Carter]], a peanut farmer who became President of the United States of America
+
 
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*[[Joh Bjelke-Petersen]], another peanut farmer from [[Queensland]], [[Australia]], who became state [[premier]]
+
==References==
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*[[George Washington Carver]]
+
*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
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*[[Peanut butter and jelly sandwich]]
+
<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
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*[[Peanut butter]]
+
<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
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*[[Maafe]] meat and peanut stew
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<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
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*[[Vitamin E]]
 
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*[[Mr. Peanut]]
 
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*[[Nuts4Nuts|Nuts About Nuts]]
 
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*[[Peanut butter cup]]
 
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*[[Beer Nuts]]
 
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* [[Nick Baines|Nick 'Peanut' Baines]], keyboard player with [[Kaiser Chiefs]]
 
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* The [[Peanuts]] aka Charlie Brown and company
 
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* [[The Peanut]], an unusual road shaping which lends its name to a neighbourhood in [[Toronto, Ontario]], [[Canada]]
 
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{{Commons|Arachis hypogaea}}
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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*[http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org National Peanut Board] - Represents America's Peanut Farmers
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*{{wplink}}
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*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1565127948431227195&q=full+belly+project Video of Universal Nut Sheller, that also shells peanuts in Uganda]
+
 
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*[http://www.icrisat.org/GroundNut/GroundNut.htm International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics]
+
{{stub}}
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*[http://www.fullbellyproject.org Full Belly Project] - a non-profit organization that designs appropriate and affordable technology for shelling peanuts in the third world
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[[Category:Categorize]]
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*[http://fullbellyblog.blogspot.com Full Belly Blog]
 
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*[http://www.ers.usda.gov/Features/farmbill/titles/titleicommodities.htm#e Changes to USDA peanut support programs under 2002 Farm Bill]
 
  
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[[Category:Crops originating from the Americas]]
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<!--  in order to add all the proper categories, go to http://www.plants.am/wiki/Plant_Categories and copy/paste the contents of the page here, and then follow the easy instructions!    -->
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[[Category:Faboideae]]
 
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[[Category:Legumes]]
 
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[[Category:Peanuts|*]]
 

Latest revision as of 20:26, 25 June 2009


Peanut leaves and freshly dug pods


Plant Characteristics
Origin: ✈ ?
Cultivation
Exposure: ☼ ?"?" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water: ◍ ?"?" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.
Scientific Names

Fabaceae >

Arachis >

hypogaea >



Read about Peanut in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 
Peanut (Arachis hypogea)

Peanut (Arachis hypoyaea). Popularly the peanut, as the name indicates, is called a nut, but it more properly falls into the class of grain or forage crops. The fruit or "nut" is really a pod, comparable with a bean-pod or pea-pod. The plant is related to beans and peas. The seeds (comparable with bean seeds) furnish excellent food for man as well as for his beasts and fowls, and the cured tops make an excellent hay or forage.

Commercially, the peanut is not grown north of the latitude of Washington, D. C., but on the sandy and loamy soils to the south and west of the above-named city, on lands that have recently been limed, it may be used as a rotation or as a special money crop. North of this territory the plant can be used with profit as a forage for hogs, although only a portion of the pods set will come to maturity. As a garden plant, the peanut can be grown as far north as central New York, but only a few pods will actually mature seeds, except in long warm growing seasons.

There are two general types of peanuts: those known as bunch nuts, and as vine or trailing nuts. The bunch nuts are most desirable because the tops can be more easily harvested for forage, the rows may be closer together and the distance between the plants in the row may be less than with the vining types. The cultivation as well as the harvesting (digging) is easier. The bunch type of nuts, such as the Spanish and Valencia, may be planted in rows 30 to 36 inches apart, with the seeds scattered 6 to 10 inches apart along the row.

The large-seeded thick-shelled nuts require to be shelled before planting in order to insure satisfactory germination, but the smaller thin-shelled sorts may be planted whole and a good stand secured. The planting season, as well as the field care of peanuts, is practically the same as for corn. They are tender to frost and grow best during warm weather. The vines will be killed by the first frosts, but when desired for forage should be harvested in advance of that date. As the pods or nuts are borne beneath the surface of the soil, the crop is harvested by lifting or plowing out the whole plant, separating it from the earth and curing the plant and pods together by stacking them in tall narrow stacks built up around a slender stake about 6 feet high, at the bottom of which cleats 3 feet long have been nailed in such a way as to keep the plants off the ground. The stacks are so built as to cause the vines to protect the nuts. The roots with the nuts attached are placed next to the stake, with the tops out. This method permits the nuts to be cured slowly and without discoloration or staining that would result were the nuts exposed to the weather. The plant is a most interesting one, both horticulturally and botanically, and is at the same time an important economic crop as well as a garden novelty. CH


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Peanuts are also known as earthnuts, goobers, goober peas, pindas, jack nuts, pinders, manila nuts and monkey balls. (The last of these is often used to mean the entire pod, not just the seeds. In the UK these are sold as monkey nuts.)

Cultivation

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Propagation

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Pests and diseases

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Cultivars

Thousands of peanut cultivars are grown, with four major Cultivar Groups being the most popular: Spanish, Runner, Virginia, and Valenciawp. There are also Tennessee Red and Tennessee White groupswp. Certain Cultivar Groups are preferred for particular uses because of differences in flavor, oil content, size, shape, and disease resistance. For many uses the different cultivars are interchangeable. Most peanuts marketed in the shell are of the Virginia type, along with some Valencias selected for large size and the attractive appearance of the shell. Spanish peanuts are used mostly for peanut candy, salted nuts, and peanut butter. Most Runners are used to make peanut butter.wp

The various types are distinguished by branching habit and branch length. There are numerous varieties of each type of peanut. There are two main growth forms, bunch and runner. Bunch types grow upright, while runner types grow near the ground.wp

Gallery

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  • De-shelled Peanuts with skin

  • Peanuts, showing legumes, one split open revealing two seeds with their brown seed coats

  • Textural detail

See also

References

External links


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