GROUND NUT (Arachis hypogcaea) (2n = 40)

It is important oil seed crops in India, grown in subtropical and warm temperate zone also

called as peanut or monkey nut. It contains 45-55 per cent oil and 25-30 per cent protein.

Origin: Brazil

Distribution:

India, China, USA, Africa, South and South East Asia In India, Gujarath, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Uttar Prdesh, Punjab.

Progenitor:

Arachis monticola

A – prostrata

A – silvestres

 

Putative parents and origin of cultivated ground nut.

 

The cultivated ground nut is a Allotetraploid having A and B genomes. The genus Arachis is sub divided into 7 sections. The cultivated ground nut comes under section Arachis. This section includes 12 species of which hypogaea is the only cultivated species having 2n = 40. The other one is A.monticola. The rest ten species are diploids.

Classification :

The genus Arachis is subdivided in to the following seven sections. (Gregory and Gregory,

1973)

Arachis

Erectoides

Rhizomatasae

Extranervosae

Triseminate

Ambinervosae

Caulorhizae.