Summer farming of peanuts: India is an agricultural country, where many types of crops are cultivated according to various climate and weather. Peanuts are one of the major oilseed crops of India, whose summer farming can become a special opportunity for farmers. In this article, we will understand in detail the benefits of summer peanut farming, the challenges related to it and the scientific aspects of their solution.
5 benefits of summer peanut farming
1. Good productivity and immediate ripening ability
• Sunlight is available in sufficient amounts in summer, which increases the photosynthesis capacity of plants.
The crops ripen quickly, so that farmers can plan to harvest the next crop by harvesting early in a single season.
• It also increases production per hectare, which provides economic benefits.
2. Better amount and quality of oil
• Due to high temperature in the summer season, the amount of oil in peanuts is high.
The quality of oil also improves, which increases the price of the product in the market.
• Due to high demand for good quality oil seeds, farmers get better economic benefits.
3 At least outbreak of pests and diseases
• Due to high temperatures and dryness in the summer season, most pests, pathogenic bacteria and fungi are not active.
The need for use of pesticides and fungicides is low, which saves cost.
• Crop health is better and the side effects of chemicals on the environment also decreases.
4. Diversity in crop cycle and improvement in soil health
• Applying peanuts in summer brings diversity to the traditional crop cycle (wheat, paddy, pulses etc.).
Peanuts stabilize nitrogen, causing the amount of nitrogen in the soil naturally increase.
• This improves soil fertility and nutritional balance.
5. Skilled use of water resources
• In summer, the use of modern irrigation techniques like drip or sprinkler is more effective, which leads to water conservation.
Drip irrigation reduces water consumption by about 40-60% and increases water efficiency.
• This can also make peanut cultivation successful in areas where water is available in limited amounts.
5 major challenges faced in summer peanut farming
1. Lack of water resources and irrigation problem
• In the summer season, water bodies such as ponds, wells and canals often dry up, which makes it difficult to arrange enough water for irrigation.
The underground water level also declines rapidly, causing water to drain water from resources such as tube wells or boring.
• Regular irrigation has a negative effect on germination and growth of plants, which can reduce production.
2. Tension in plants from high temperatures
• Temperatures often go above 40 ° C in summer, causing heat stress in plants.
The leaves of the plant can dry due to excessive heat, and the process of flowering and fruit can be interrupted.
• Consumption of water and nutrients in plants increases, which increases production costs.
3. Effective management of soil moisture
• Sandy and light soils have low water holding capacity, so that moisture does not last long after irrigation.
Repeated irrigation requires, which increases both labor and cost.
• Development of plant roots is affected due to lack of moisture, which can reduce production.
4. Shortage of agricultural workers
• Due to excessive heat and heat in summer, agricultural labourers avoid working in the fields during the day, which leads to lack of labourers.
Important agricultural functions like weeding, sowing, irrigation and harvesting can be delayed on time, affecting crop quality and production.
• Due to lack of availability of workers, farmers face additional labor costs and management difficulties.
5. Soil Health and Nutrient Management
Due to strong sunlight during the summer season, the biological substances present in the upper layer of soil are rapidly decomposed, affecting soil fertility.
• Lack of nutrients comes out quickly, especially nitrogen, phosphorus and potash deficiency can be severe.
- This causes farmers to invest for additional fertilizers and nutrients, which increases the total cost of farming.
How to solve challenges?
1. Use of modern irrigation techniques
• Water can be transported directly to the roots of the plant using the drip irrigation system. It reduces water consumption by about 40-60% during irrigation.
Micro-sprinkler system also reduces water consumption and plants get equal water. This system distributes water in the form of small drops, causing maximum use of water.
Effective management of the problem of underground water level reduction with modern techniques is possible.
2. Moisture protection in soil with mulching technology
• Using ingredients such as plastic, straw or organic mulch, the upper surface of the soil can be covered, so the soil moisture persists for a longer time.
Mulching keeps the soil temperature controlled, which also reduces heat stress in plants.
• crop residues such as organic mulch increase organic matter in the soil, which also improves the structure of the soil.
3. Increase in soil water retention capacity
Using organic fertilizers like dung manure, compost and vermicompost in the soil increases the water retention capacity of soil.
Organic fertilizers accelerate the activity of microorganisms in the soil, causing the natural balance of soil nutrients.
• Regular use of these substances improves soil structure, providing adequate moisture and nutrients to crops.
4. Use of agricultural machinery for shortage of labourers
• The use of modern agricultural machines such as seed drills, planters and mechanical harvesters reduces the dependence of labourers.
These machines complement farming faster, causing timely sowing, weeding, and harvesting.
• Use of machines reduces the production cost of farming, which increases the benefits of farmers.
5. Management of thermal stress in plants
• To control the heat stress of plants, it is necessary to give regular and controlled quantity of plants in regular and controlled quantity through micro irrigation from time to time.
Water loss in plants can be reduced using products such as anti-transpirant spray.
• To protect the plants from sunlight, wind-brakes (air stop plants) can also be planted around the fields, which are helpful in controlling temperature and growth of plants.
What do scientific recommendations say?
It is necessary to follow scientific recommendations to make summer peanut cultivation successful. This not only increases production and quality, but also improves the income of farmers. First of all, it is necessary to take precautions about seed selection. Certified and high quality seeds should be used for good yields, which are tolerant of diseases, insects and climatic stresses. The GG-20, GG-2 and Tag-24 are prominent among the scientifically recommended varieties.
The GG-20 is early ripening and high temperatures, while GG-2 has better production capacity and oil quality. Tag-24 performs well in low water conditions and quickly matures. Before sowing, seeds should be treated with biological culture such as Rhizobium, Trichoderma and phosphorus soluble bacteria (PSB), so that germination rates and immunity are increased.
Important part of scientific farming
Soil testing is also an important part of scientific farming. Soil tests should be done for the nutritional condition of the soil, pH value and biological elements before planting crops in the field. From this, it can be decided which nutrient is lacking and how much fertilizers have to be used. Summer peanuts require a balanced amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. Generally 25-30 kg of nitrogen, 50-60 kg phosphorus (P₂o₅) and 30-40 kg potash (K₂o) are recommended per hectare. In addition, micronutrients like zinc sulfate, iron, sulfur and boron should also be used as required so that the plants can increase properly.
Drip irrigation in summer is considered a highly effective technique in terms of irrigation management. It maintains moisture by transporting water directly to the roots of plants and prevents wastage of water. This can protect the plants from water stress. According to scientific advice, irrigation should be done every 7 to 10 days to maintain sufficient moisture in the soil at the time of flowering in peanut crop and the development of beans.
Crop from pests and diseases
It is also very important to protect the crop from pests and diseases. For this, regular monitoring of plants should be done, so that any problem can be identified at the beginning. Under the mulching technique, covering the soil surface with plastic, straw or crop residue keeps the soil temperature controlled and moisture remains for a long time. This reduces water stress in plants and increases production. Following the crop cycle, peanuts should be applied between pulses and non-domestic crops, causing soil fertility. In addition, before every crop cycle, dung manure, compost and vermicompost should be used in the field, which not only fulfills nutrients but also increases the activity of microorganisms in the soil, which is extremely important for long-term soil health.
Summer peanut farming is an attractive option for Indian farmers, which can promote better income and soil fertility. Using scientific information and techniques properly, farmer brothers can turn the challenges of summer peanut farming into opportunity, which will not only strengthen their economic condition but will also contribute to the country’s agricultural economy.
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