How to grow peanuts in the country in the middle lane: the rules for planting and caring for the crop

Peanut is a rare crop for most regions of the country. Despite the low prevalence, growing a crop does not require special training and complex agricultural technology. Having figured out how to properly grow peanuts in the country in the middle lane, you can easily get a large harvest.

Is it possible to grow peanuts in central Russia?

Climatic features and soil type in the middle zone of the country are suitable for planting peanuts. To successfully breed a crop, it is enough to follow the standard rules of cultivation, choose a suitable place for plantings and provide proper care.

Best varieties for this region

When choosing a variety of crop, you need to decide on the purpose of cultivation. If you plan to plant for further production of peanut butter, you should pay attention to varieties such as Valencia, Runner, Olin, Virginia, Tamrun Oil. To grow a crop for the sake of the nuts themselves, it is recommended to plant varieties of Adyg, Stepnyak, Bayan, Acorn, Zagatala.

If you plant one of the listed varieties and propagate it from the grown crop in the future, the crop will eventually adapt well to climatic conditions and will bear fruit better.

Subtleties of growing crops

To reduce the risk of problems during the cultivation of peanuts, several nuances should be taken into account. The culture will develop better with proper preparation of seed, selection of suitable terrain, tillage and observance of the subtleties of sowing seedlings.

Preparation of planting material

Before sowing, peanuts must be carefully examined and specimens must be selected without damage, rot and other defects. The selected seed is disinfected for 15-20 minutes by placing it in a weakly concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. Then the nuts are soaked in warm water for 24 hours to germinate.

How to choose the right place to land

Planting peanuts should be in a constantly lit area, where a shadow does not fall during a sunny day. Groundwater should not be high at the location of the beds. You should also choose a territory where through blowing is not observed.

Nuances when choosing

In addition to the standard conditions, when choosing a site for peanut crops, it is important to pay attention to a number of nuances. Soil type, previous crop, and proper seeding are important for a large harvest.

Ground

Growing peanuts in the Moscow region in open ground, as in other regions of the middle lane, is recommended to be done on light, loamy and sandy soil. The acidity index of the earth should be neutral, since the culture does not take root in acidified and saline areas. If the land is too acidic, it will need to be treated with dolomite flour or dry lime before planting.

Precursors

Beets, tomatoes, corn, cucurbits and onions are best suited as precursors for peanuts. After growing these plants in the soil, they are saturated with nutrients that have a positive effect on the growth and development of peanuts. It is also important to follow the rules of crop rotation and not plant legumes in one place for several years in a row.

Sowing

For sowing seedlings of peanuts, a spacious container is required - at least 30 cm in diameter. Sowing is carried out in the following order:

• moistened soil is poured into the prepared container;
• germinated seed is planted in the center to a depth of 2-2.5 cm;
• to maintain a comfortable microclimate, the container is covered with plastic wrap or a lid.

Specific seedling method

Before the first shoots appear, peanut seedlings are periodically ventilated and moistened as the earth dries up. After the formation of the first pair of leaves, the film is removed from the container. Then the seedlings are left in a bright place, for example, on an insulated windowsill. After 2 weeks of development from the moment the sprouts were discovered, the seedlings are transferred to a permanent place in unprotected soil. If legumes are grown in peat decomposable pots or tablets, they can be dived without removing them from the container.

Features of peanut care in the middle lane

Having planted peanuts in a permanent place, care should be taken during the entire growing season. An important condition for growing in the middle zone is to ensure a balanced temperature regime. Peanuts are among the heat-loving crops, and cultivation should take place at a temperature in the range of 20-27 degrees.

Temperatures below 15 and above 30 degrees lead to the death of plants.

Water, loosening and weeding

It is necessary to moisten the beds with plants regularly, checking the condition of the soil before each irrigation. Drought and waterlogging should not be allowed so as not to disrupt the development of peanut roots. At the time of active formation of inflorescences, increased moisture is required. Under the condition of hot weather, it is recommended, in addition to watering, to spray the ground part of the plants twice a day - in the early morning and after sunset.

Each watering is accompanied by loosening of the earth. Agrotechnical reception is necessary so that the water passes better to the roots located below and remains in the soil longer. Simultaneously with loosening, peanuts are weeded, removing weeds and plant debris.

When cultivating the land, hilling is additionally required. The need arises 1.5-2 months after planting, when they begin to lean towards the ground, and the ovaries sink into the ground. It is important to track this moment and spud plantings with loosened and moistened soil. Throughout the entire process of peanut vegetation, hilling is carried out twice - 10 and 20 days after flowering. As an alternative to hilling, you can leave a layer of mulch made of sawdust, humus and sand on the bed.

Feeding

The first fertilizer is applied to the ground 2-3 weeks after the transfer of peanuts to a permanent place of growth.As top dressing, a complex mixture of potassium s alt, superphosphate, water and ammonium nitrate is used. The use of top dressing allows you to activate the growth of seedlings, contributes to the growth of green mass and has a positive effect on the taste characteristics of the crop.

The second dressing is applied at the beginning of fruiting. If peanuts are planted on fertile soil, a second portion of fertilizer is not required. In case of slow development and adverse environmental conditions, additional growth stimulants may be used.

Protection from diseases and insects

For peanuts, diseases such as powdery mildew, fusarium, gray mold and phyllosticosis are dangerous. Having found the symptoms of diseases, it is necessary to treat the plants with fungicidal preparations. Excessively affected parts of the plantations are cut and removed. In advanced cases, it may be necessary to completely remove the bushes to stop the spread of the infection.

Among harmful insects, caterpillars, thrips and aphids affect the culture. Protective spraying with insecticides helps against pests. Large parasites can be collected from the beds by hand.

Peanut harvesting

The harvest period is in September. In anticipation of digging up nuts, it is necessary to stop watering and wait for the top layer of the earth to dry, which will make the collection process more convenient. As a rule, up to 50 pods containing 6-7 nuts are formed on each bush.

The exact amount of the crop depends on the characteristics of the cultivated variety, climatic conditions, soil fertility, and the quality of agricultural technology.

After digging up the plants, you need to turn the bushes upside down and shake off the remnants of the earth. The peanut pods are then stored in a dark, dry place. It is desirable that the space is well ventilated.The nuts are dried until the peanuts acquire a slightly darker shell with pronounced inclusions. After that, a few peanut pods can be left for further propagation, and the rest of the crop is ready to eat.

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