Introduction to Major Field Crops

Importance

Groundnut kernels contain about45 per cent oil and 25 per cent protein. The biological value of groundnutprotein is among the highest of the vegetable proteins, and which is about 1.3 times higher than meat, 2.5 times higher than eggs and 8.0 times higher than fruits. Groundnuts are rich source of vitamin B and E. They are rich source of thiamin, riboflavin and nicotinic acid. With regard to minerals, phosphorus, calcium and iron are present in significant amount.

Fig: Groundnut pods and kernels.

The oil is extensively used for cooking purposes. Besides being an important source of vegetable oil, it is also used as an important source of food,nutrition, feed and fodder. The kernels are consumed either roasted or fried and salted. Groundnut milk, butter, curd and chatni are prepared from raw kernels.Groundnut is also being used for candies and confections. The cake flour blends easily with wheat and other flours and consequently used by bakers, ice cream manufacturers, confectioners and candy makers.

Fig: Groundnut Oil. Fig: Masala groundnut.

Fig: Salted groundnut. Fig: Groundnut Chikkies (Candies).

Fig: Groundnut Burfi.

Groundnut has got numerous industrial uses. The oil is also used for preparing vanaspatighee. Low quality oil is used for making soaps. Groundnut oil is used in beauty-aids, shaving cream, cold cream, etc. It is used for medical aids such as plasters, ointments, etc. The groundnut cake powder is used as laundry starch and in the manufacture of paper, gummed tapes and plastics. Activated carbon is prepared from groundnut shells. It is a good foreign exchange earner.

Fig: Groundnut shells.

The oil cake obtained after the extraction of the oil is a valuable organic manure and animal feed. It contains 7-8 per cent nitrogen, 1.5 per cent phosphorus and 1.5 per cent potash.It can be used as a nutritive cattle feed.Groundnut haulms make a very palatable fodder to cattle when fed in green state. It may be fed in the form of hay after drying or after converting it into silage. The haulms are rich in nutrition containing about 8-11 per cent protein. Groundnut being a legume crop builds up the soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen through the root nodules and also an efficient cover crop for lands exposed to soil erosion.