Peanut Cultivation for Mechanized Harvesting

Aimed to reduce high loss associated with the mechanized peanut harvesting, an L₉ (3⁴) orthogonal experiment was conducted. The design included the effects of(A) planting row spacing, (B) cropping pattern, (C) fertilization, and (D) top fertizer application on peanut output. Losses in the field due to the mechanical harvesting by using a Lianhe Harvesterwere recorded for comparison. The yields of peanut kernels in various treatmentsranked in the order of: A > C > B > D. The greatest average yield came from the combination of A₂B₃C₁D₂. However, based on the mean k values, A₂B₃C₁D₃ was the optimal combinationthat called forthe planting of Fuhua 8 on a sandy soil with the following conditions: a planting density of 270 000 plants·hm^-2, 90 cm widecultivation strips (including a 30 cm gully), 55 cm widestrip surface, 33 cm spacing between rows, 7-19 cm combined alternating planting, pure N 52.5 kg·hm^-2 fertilization for the entiregrowth stages (with a ratio of fertilizer of N:P₂O₅:K₂O=1:1.2:0.8, P 100% basis fertilizer, N, K base fertilizer:top fertilizer=1:1), a top fertilization on strip edge 13 days after plant emergence, and alime-coating of 450 kg·hm^-2 on leaf surfaces at blooming stage. The kernel loss in mechanized harvesting the peanut plants cultivated under the choice combination was 1/6 of the traditional equipotential isometric cultivation and 2/5 of the isometric staggered cultivation.