Question

Write the five economic importance of groundnut.

Answer 1

Hint: Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.), a self-pollinated legume, is an important crop cultivated for edible oil extraction and food consumption in 24 million hectares of the world.

Complete answer:
Economic importance of groundnut:
> Groundnut, also known as peanut, is a large legume crop of oil, food, and feed grown in over 100 countries. With a gross volume of 38 million tonnes in 2010, it covered 24 million hectares of land worldwide.
> Groundnut is a cash crop which provides farmers with income and livelihoods. It also contributes to farm families' well being through eating energy- and protein-rich groundnut kernels and provides livestock with nutritious fodder. Groundnut farming thus leads to the survival of mixed crop-livestock processing systems, the most widespread semi-arid system in the world.
> Groundnut is valued in the kernels as a rich source of energy supplied by oil and protein. Out of 100 g kernels, they provide 564 kcal of energy. In addition, groundnut kernels are rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids and contain many health-enhancing nutrients such as minerals, enzymes, and vitamins. They include antioxidants such as p-coumaric acid and resveratrol, vitamin E, and many of the main thiamine, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, folate, and niacin B-complex types.
> Groundnuts are a dietary source of polyphenols, flavonoids and isoflavones, which are biologically active. Groundnuts and groundnut-based products can be marketed as nutritional foods to combat energy, protein, and micronutrient malnutrition among the needy, as they are highly nutritious.
> Groundnut oil is, because of its high smoking point, an outstanding cooking medium. India, China, Myanmar, and Vietnam make heavy use of groundnut oil for cooking purposes.
> The cake obtained after oil extraction is used in the animal feed industry, in the preparation of enriched, readily digestible foods for children and the elderly, and as an alteration of the soil.
> The most popular groundnut food in the USA, Canada, and Australia is peanut butter. Groundnut seeds can be eaten raw (non-heated), boiled, and fried, and can also be used to produce baked goods with confectionery and flour.
> In the fertiliser and feed industry, groundnut shells are used for making particle boards or used as fuel or filler. Groundnut haulms are nutritious food for livestock.
> Groundnut, as a legume crop, tends to boost soil quality and fertility by leaving nitrogen and organic matter behind in the soil.

Note: The accessible genetic diversity in cultivated groundnuts has been primarily used by traditional breeding methods, and the diversity trapped in wild Arachis species has also been used to grow improved groundnut varieties to some degree. The breeding processes used for self-pollinated crops, along with the use of phenotyping techniques, are used in groundnut improvement programmes.