--- In MarsLivingNow-@yahoogroups.com, "jaber_1934" <jaber@...> wrote:
Scientific classification

1.Peanut (Arachis hypogea)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Division:Magnoliophyta
Class:Magnoliopsida
Order:Fabales
Family:Fabaceae
Subfamily:Faboideae
Tribe:Aeschynomeneae
Genus:Arachis
Species:A. Hypogaea
Binomial name Arachis hypogaea
L.

Lets see if we can do a rather fun project this time. We will see
what Peanuts have to offer.

Peanuts go by several names other than peanuts, depending on what
your location is. Some of the AKA's are: Earthnuts, Goobers, Goober
Peas, Pindas, Jack nuts, Pinders, Manila nuts, and Monkey Balls. (The
last is often used to mean the entire pod, not just the seeds. In the
UK these are sold as monkey nuts.)

A description of the plant is as follows: It is an annual herbaceous
plant growing to 30 to 50 cm (1 to 1 ½ foot tall.) The leaves are
opposite, Pinnate with four leaflets (two opposite pairs with no
terminal leaflet), each leaflet is 1 to 7 cm (3/8 to 2 3/4") long and
1 to 3 cm (3/8 to 1 inch) broad. The flowers are typical peaflower in
shape, 2 to 4 cm (¾ to 1 1/2") across, yellow with reddish veining.
After pollination the fruit develops into a legume 3 to 7 cm (1 to 2
inches) long, containing 1 to 4 seeds, which forces its way
underground to mature. Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the
botanical sense the fruit of the peanut is a woody, indehiscent legume
and not a nut.

The peanut is a Native of South America, it originated between
southern Bolivia and northern Argentina from where it spread
throughout the New World as Spanish explorers discovered its
versatility. Today farmers in Asia and Africa also cultivate it. It
is grown in a wide range of environmental conditions in areas between
40° south and 40° north of the equator. It was brought to the United
States from Brazil, by the Portuguese around 1800.

Some of the largest producers of the peanut by far are China and
India followed by the sub-Saharan Africa countries, and Central and
South America. The majority of the crop is produced where average
rainfall is 600-1200 mm (23" to 47") and daily temperatures are more
than 20°C (68 degrees F). The peanut or ground nut is the 13th most
important food crop in the world. It is the world's fourth most
important source of edible oil, and third most important source of
vegetable protein. {The oil is 50% high quality, 25% is easily
digestible, and 20% are carbohydrates.} In 2004 the ground that it was
grown on was 24 million hectares worldwide with the total production
of 36,000,000 metric tons.

The peanut is a valuable source of several vitamins. Vitamin E, K,
and B among others. (Its a good source of thiamine (B1) and also rich
in niacin.) Peanut cakes formed after the oil is extracted, makes a
high protein cattle food. With the proper processing it is also used
in making baby foods and biscuits.

An interesting side note. Unless the legislation was passed in 2002
reversing some protectionist policies that were passed during the
reign of one of our presidents (1977-1981), it is illegal to grow more
than 1 acre (4000 m²) for private use unless you have many years of
experience and/or belong to a peanut association. I wanted to grow
them to feed my cattle I was not allowed to. The tops make great
forage and silage, and they benefit the soil by fixing nitrogen.

There are basically four major cultivar groups. The most popular
being Spanish, runner, Virginia, and Valencia. There are also
Tennessee red and Tennessee White groups. Certain cultivar groups are
preferred over others because of the use and the flavor of the nut.
Some produce a better flavor oil, others are better sized and some
shape differently and others are disease-resistant. The various
types are distinguished by branching habit, and branch lengths. There
are numerous varieties of each type of nut and two main growth forms,
bunch and runner. Bunch types grow up right while runner types grow
near the ground.

The Spanish group. The small Spanish types are grown in South
Africa, in general, and in the southwestern and southeastern US.
Prior to 1940, 90 percent of the peanuts grown in Georgia were Spanish
types, but the trend since has been larger seeded, higher-yielding
more disease-resistant cultivars. Spanish peanuts have a higher oil
content than other types of peanuts.

The runner group. Since 1940, there has been a shift to the
production of runner group peanuts in the southeastern US. 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. Some of
the cultivars are Dixie runner, early runner, Virginia Bunch 67,
Redford Runner, Egyptian giant, Rhodesian Spanish bunch.

The Virginia group. The large seeded Virginia group peanuts are
grown in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and parts of Georgia.
They are increasing in popularity due to demand for large peanuts for
processing, particularly for salting, confections, and roasting in
the shells. The Virginia group peanuts are either bunch or runners 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 inches), with 80 to 90 cm (33 to 36 inches) rows that seldom
cover the ground. The pods are borne within five to 10 cm of the base
of the plant.

The Valencia group. The Valencia group peanuts are course, and they
have heavy reddish stems and large foliage. In the US large
commercial production is primarily in eastern New Mexico, but they
grown on a small scale elsewhere in the South as the best flavored and
preferred type of boiled peanuts. They are comparatively tall, having
a height of 125 cm, (50 inches), and they spread of 75 cm,(30 inches).
The 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 4/10 to 5/10 gram.

Tennessee red and Tennessee White groups. These are alike except for
the color of the seed. Plants are similar to Valencia types, except
that the stems are green to greenish brown in the pods and are rough,
irregular, and have a smaller proportion of kernels


The soil pH should be in the range of 6.0. It should not be clay and
should be loose and free of rocks and sticks and some compost should
be added. You should do a soil test to see just exactly what is going
to be needed. If lime is needed it should be applied well in advance
of planting the seeds and worked in the soil. At time of planting you
could use an 8-8-8 fertilizer, one half cup for every 10 foot of row.
The seeds should be planted an inch to an inch and a half deep and
four or five seeds for each foot of row. The nuts need calcium in
order to fill out well. You can use either gypsum or calcium sulfate
at the time the peanuts are flowering to supply needed calcium.

Cultivation should be shallow. This is to prevent damage to the
peanuts as they develop near the soil surface. Also, you should not
let them dry out during the period of flowering. They should be
watered weekly, so that the soil is soaked at least six to 8 inches deep.

When it comes time to harvest them, after 4 to 5 months from
planting, the plants will start to yellow. Dig the whole plant and
turn it upside down and allow it to dry for two or three days. The
peanuts should still be attached to the vine. If it looks like rain
move your drying process indoors out of the rain.

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 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.

Many people here in the United States seem to have allergies to
peanuts. Some even have a fatal case of anaphylactic shock set in.
There seems to be very few cases of people in China and India and
Europe being allergic to peanuts. According to a 2003 study, the
roasting of the nuts is more commonly done in North America, thus
causing a major peanut allergen, Ara h2 to become a stronger inhibitor
of the digestive enzyme, typsim, making it more resistant to
digestion. Additionally this allergen has also been shown to protect
Ara h1, another major peanut allergen from digestion, a characteristic
further enhanced by roasting. Though the allergy can last a lifetime
an other 2003 study indicates that 23.3% of the children will outgrow
a peanut allergy. Peanut allergy has been associated with the use of
skin preparations containing peanut oil among children, but the
evidence is not regarded as conclusive. Peanut allergies have also
been associated with a family history of intake of soy products. There
is now an experimental drug being tested to combat this allergy,
called TNX-901. As the peanut is a member of the legume family and
unrelated to other nuts, individuals with peanut allergies may not be
allergic to other types of nuts, and vice versa. Peanut allergies
come from the protein molecules of the nut and not the fat, this means
those with allergies can use unprocessed peanut oil with no negative
side effects.

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 lb) 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 corn
cracker and a soy milk maker. The main designer of the Malian peanut
sheller and other Full Belly Project inventions is author and film
technician Jock Brandis.



Okay let's call it quits for now. And if I find anything else I will
have to do in addition.

Jay