Peanut Fertilization Techniques

Topdressing for peanuts should be determined based on soil fertility, the amount of base fertilizer applied, and the plants’ growth status.
Boron deficiency in peanuts leads to fewer flowers, reduced pod set, and a high incidence of pods with shells but no kernels; zinc deficiency causes chlorosis of young leaves. Molybdenum deficiency results in fewer root nodules, which impairs the plant’s ability to meet its nitrogen requirements and ultimately lowers yield. At the same time, we must abandon the practice of relying solely on nitrogen fertilizers. Peanuts have a high nitrogen demand—not because the soil already contains abundant nitrogen, but because they depend on nitrogen fixation by root nodules to meet their needs; only by promoting vigorous nodule formation can high yields be achieved. Hence, the farmer’s adage “Peanuts thrive on poor manure” is far from unfounded.
This necessitates that we avoid over-application of nitrogen fertilizer while simultaneously applying ample organic fertilizers, micronutrient and mesoelement fertilizers, as well as phosphorus, potassium, and a variety of bio‑active microbial fertilizers, thereby creating a high‑yielding soil environment that is loose, soft, fertile, and biologically active—only then can we meet the demands for both high yield and superior quality in peanut production.
Peanuts are a crop rich in both oil and protein. Their normal growth and development require a variety of nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, copper, iron, and manganese, with nitrogen being the most essential. Although peanuts possess the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, they cannot do so until root nodules have formed during the seedling stage; therefore, adequate nitrogen fertilizer should be applied during this period to promote seedling growth. Phosphorus fertilizer, on the other hand, helps accelerate peanut maturation, ensures plump seeds, and increases pod‑setting rates.
Potassium fertilizer is absorbed in large quantities, and potassium promotes the growth of stems, vines, fruit shells, and kernels. In sandy soils with poor nutrient retention, applying additional potassium fertilizer yields significant benefits. As for other nutrients, supplementation should be tailored to the soil’s specific nutrient supply, addressing whatever deficiencies are present.
Peanuts have a strong capacity for nutrient uptake; in addition to the root system, fruiting pegs, young pods, and leaves also directly absorb nutrients. The amount of nutrients required varies at different stages of peanut growth and development: during the seedling stage, nutrient demand is relatively low, with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium accounting for only about 5% of the total uptake over the entire life cycle. During the flowering stage, nutrient uptake increases sharply, with nitrogen accounting for 17%, phosphorus for 22.6%, and potassium for 22.3% of the total lifetime uptake.
The pod‑setting stage is the period of most vigorous vegetative and reproductive growth in peanut, during which a large number of pods are formed and nutrient uptake is at its peak: nitrogen accounts for 42% of the total uptake over the entire life cycle, phosphorus for 46%, and potassium for 60%. By the full‑pod maturity stage, the plant’s capacity to absorb nutrients gradually declines, with nitrogen accounting for 28%, phosphorus for 22%, and potassium for 7% of the lifetime total. Peanuts are particularly sensitive to the micronutrients boron, molybdenum, and iron; in soils rich in calcium carbonate and with a high pH, iron deficiency–induced chlorosis is more likely to occur.