A presentation of a peanut tour that includes information and images on the peanut growing and harvesting process.

2. US peanuts are planted after the last frost in April or May when
soil temperatures reach 65‐70°F (20°C).
Pre‐planting tillage ensures a well‐prepared seedbed.

3. Certified peanut seeds are planted 4‐5cm deep, one every 5‐10cm
in the SE and SW, and 10‐15cm in the V‐C area.
The row spacing is determined to a large extent by the type
of planting and harvesting equipment used.

4. Peanut seedlings crack the soil about 10 days after planting and
grow into green oval‐leafed plants about 45cm tall.

5. A climate with 200 frost‐free days is required for a good crop.
Farmers may utilize irrigation in an effort to reduce crop
stress and produce the highest quality peanuts.

6. Peanuts flower about 30
days after planting and
continue to produce flowers
over a 90‐120 day period,
resulting in peanuts
maturing at different rates
on the plant.

7. Once the flowers pollinate themselves, the petals fall
off as the peanut ovary begins to form.
This budding ovary, called a ‘peg’, grows away from the plant
on a vine and penetrates the soil to become a peanut.

8. As the plant produces ovaries at different times, the peanuts
growing beneath the ground mature at different rates,
as can be seen here.

9. The peanut is a nitrogen‐
fixing plant. Its roots form
nodules that absorb nitrogen
from the air and provide
enrichment and nutrition to
the plant and soil.

10. Integrated pest management is utilized in order to control weeds,
diseases and insects.

11. From planting to harvesting, the growing cycle takes about 4‐5 months,
depending on the type or variety.

12. The peanut harvesting process occurs in two stages. Digging, which is the
first, begins when about 70% of the pods have reached maturity.
Harvesting peanuts at the peak of their maturity is necessary to
reap the fullest peanut flavor possible.

13. A digger proceeds along the rows of plants, driving a horizontal blade
10‐15cm under the soil, loosens the soil and cuts the tap root.

14. Behind the blade, a shaker lifts the plant from the soil, gently shakes the earth
from the peanuts, rotates the plant and lays the plant back down in ‘windrow’,
peanuts up and leaves down. When dug, peanuts contain 25‐50% moisture
which must be reduced for safe storage.

15. The inverted peanuts are left to dry in the field for 2 or more days until they
reach the appropriate moisture content.

16. The peanuts are now ready for the second phase of harvesting—
threshing, or combining.

17. A combine sweeps over the windrows. The
combine lifts the plants, separates the peanuts
from the vine, blows them into a hopper on top
of the machine and lays the vine back down in
the field. The vines are returned to the field to
improve soil fertility and organic matter.

18. Freshly harvested
peanut pods are
transferred to drying
wagons and taken to
buying points for further
drying. Forced hot air is
slowly circulated
through the drying
wagons. In the curing
process, moisture
content is reduced to 8‐
10% for safe storage.

19. After curing, the peanuts are
inspected and graded to establish
quality and value of the product.
This is done by the Agricultural
Marketing Service of the US
Department of Agriculture at buying
stations or shelling plants.

20. After grading, the peanuts are moved to bulk warehouses for storage
prior to shelling. New technologies such as dome‐shaped warehouses
are helping to maintain the quality of the peanuts.

21. After grading, peanuts are either cleaned for sale as inshell peanuts, or shelled for
further processing. During the shelling process the peanuts are cleaned (soil,
vines etc are removed) and then de‐hulled using perforated grates before being
sorted into market grades. High‐speed electronic colour sorting machines
eliminate discoloured or defective kernels.

22. US peanuts are the only commodity to be accepted by the EU for pre‐export
testing certification at origin. Rigorous aflatoxin testing is conducted in the US
prior to shipment of goods to ensure that products meet the EU specifications,
resulting in far fewer tests on import into the EU and thus ensuring quicker
transit times to manufacturers.

23. The US peanut industry continues to invest in innovative ways to control
humidity and storage temperature, and has dedicated cold storage
facilities to help maintain the best tasting peanuts for our customers.

24. The US is able to offer a
range of peanut
ingredients for
applications including
bakery, confectionery,
ice cream and the
general consumer
market. These include
peanut flour, oil, extract
and peanut butter as
well as custom
processed peanuts.