Towards maintaining a healthy soil...
Groundnut significantly contributes to enriching the soil and sustainable agriculture. Being a legume, it produces root nodules of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Through a symbiotic association with the nitrogen-fixing Bradyrhizobium, it draws a regulated and continuous supply of nitrogen for growth. Soil health improves after a crop of groundnut. In a crop rotation experiment, yields of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and maize (Zea mays) were higher when grown after groundnut than those of the same crops after cowpea or sorghum. At ICRISAT Asia Center, irrigated pearl millet grown in the postrainy season yielded 45% more grain when it followed rainy-season groundnut than when maize was the preceding rainy- season crop. ...and a healthy body too
Peanut butter, nuts roasted in-shell, and shelled nuts are the most popular preparations of groundnut the world over. In the US, a substantial amount of groundnut is used in the preparation of candies and confections because of its characteristic flavor, crunchy texture, and high protein content. True witnessesThe triple alliance of a research institute, an active NGO, and progressive farmers resulted in increasing the productivity of groundnut. This fruitful partnership also enhanced the knowledge-base of the farmers and kindled their innate entrepreneurship. Mr Shashimohan Deshmukh, Mr Surendra Deshmukh, and several hundreds of farmers in Maharashtra stand as true witnesses to it. |
 |
Groundnut is unique because it meets the twin demands of oil and protein in
human nutrition. Besides, it is a storehouse of vitamins, and such minerals as phosphorus,
calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It also contains carbohydrates and ash. The
carbohydrates are sucrose, starch, raffinose, and stachyose. Groundnut seed skin is
comparable to cereal bran and fruit fibers.
