08 September 2023
By Charl van Rooyen
The dream of a large number of new groundnut cultivars with high yields is becoming a reality. And one of the cultivars can thrive with less water.
Seeds from five new cultivars were commercially propagated last summer, although only small quantities are available for larger seed multiplication.
A total of 44 cultivars are being tested in South Africa under dryland and irrigation conditions. The big success story is Schubert, a short grower with very high yields, says Alfons Visser, CEO of SA Peanuts, who farms on the Vaalharts irrigation scheme.
He is extensively involved in value addition and the export of groundnuts, pecans, cotton and lucerne.
Luther Olivier, procurement manager of SA Peanuts, says they are evaluating cultivars ideal for irrigation but also aim to introduce cultivars that perform well in Southern Africa’s dryland conditions.
“The five newcomers surpass Schubert in terms of tolerance for dry conditions,” he says.
“They have a slightly longer growing period than Schubert but yield higher – ideal for irrigation farmers so that they do not have to plant a winter crop. They can leave the land fallow and plant groundnuts as an early summer crop.”
Visser’s dream of groundnuts ideal for local conditions and high yields has been around for a long time. “Many years ago, I obtained promising plant material and conducted trials with Dr Schalk van Wyk, formerly a groundnut farmer at the Agricultural Research Council,” he says.
The Schubert cultivar was the first chapter in their success story and is commercially cultivated. It accounts for 95% of irrigated plantings, and about 2,500 hectares were planted with it last summer.
Olivier says SA Peanuts has entered into an agreement with the International Peanut Group in Texas to supply it with cultivars.
Olivier and his team personally select the most promising cultivars in Texas each year and plant the seeds in South Africa for evaluation in terms of the Plant Improvement Act (Act 53 of 1976).
The evaluation takes years, and every year they continue only with the most promising cultivars.
Olivier describes Schubert as a versatile groundnut with a short growing season that can thrive with less water than usual and excel when there is heavy rainfall. It is tolerant to root rot and the hay yield is excellent.
Visser says load-shedding is the biggest risk for irrigation farmers. Therefore, the Vaalharts energy committee was established to investigate the possibility of weaning the irrigation scheme off Eskom power. The project is estimated to cost about R1-billion.
“An El Niño phenomenon is predicted. During the previous phenomenon, the groundnut industry did not have the right irrigation cultivars,” says Visser.
“Free State farmers, for example, generally struggle to plant on time when the rain is delayed. North West farmers only plant in January, and then a short-growing variety is the ideal choice.”
He is concerned about the predicted dry period. “We are familiar with droughts, but the unknown factor is temperatures exceeding 40°C, accompanied by load-shedding.”
Schubert has the shortest growing period and is ready for harvest 10 days earlier than other cultivars. This allows farmers from Douglas and Prieska in the Northern Cape to plant the cultivar after oats and produce a double crop. Oats are less susceptible to dry conditions than wheat.
Visser says groundnuts in rotation with a winter crop are a better option due to frequent irrigation disruption from load-shedding. The right groundnut cultivar withstands such conditions better.
Schubert’s grading percentage is significantly higher than what farmers are used to, and its high oil content extends its shelf life.
According to Olivier, they plan to graft groundnut seeds in different layers using the latest technique they encountered in Argentina.
Inquiries: Luther Olivier, Luther@sapnut.com
