Arachis hypogaea

Groundnut, peanut, earthnut, monkey nut, Manila nut, Chinese nut, pindar, goober pea

Spreading summer-annual herb 25-50 cm high. Grown mainly for the pods, but also sometimes for hay, silage and pasture, usually on poorer soils. For high yields a growing period of 4-5 months with a steady, rather high temperature is required.

Haulm. When groundnuts are harvested, the aerial portions become available in large quantities for stock feed. These have proved to be an excellent feed and are also exceptionally palatable. For the best haulm the crop should be harvested as soon as it reaches full seed production.

Hay. Whole cured plants can be fed with advantage to dairy and beef cattle, but scouring results from the use of too high a proportion in the diet. Large cattle herds in parts of south America are allowed to graze on perennial wild groundnut plants.

As % of dry matter

DM

CP

CF

Ash

EE

NFE

Ca

P

Ref

Fresh leaves and

stems, Malaysia

26.9

17.5

20.1

8.6

2.2

51.6

0.93

0.20

292

Haulm, South Africa

9.9

21.1

9.3

2.4

57.3

1.48

0.08

489

Hay, Chile

88.8

26.2

27.9

11.6

2.7

31.6

3.15

0.81

315

Hay, mature, Israel

89.2

12.8

29.0

8.5

1.9

47.8

1.18

0.16

365

Digestibility (%)

Animal

CP

CF

EE

NFE

ME

Ref

Haulm

Sheep

64.1

55.6

44.6

84.2

2.53

489

Hay, mature

Sheep

65.0

51.0

56.0

75.0

2.27

365

Amino acid composition as % of crude protein

Leaf

Ref

80

Arg

Cys

Gly

Hys

Ils

Leu

Lys

Met

Phe

Thr

Try

Tyr

Val

6.7

1.0

5.2

2.2

4.4

7.6

5.6

1.6

5.5

4.3

-

3.6

4.6