Legumes - Perennial Peanut - Forages of Florida - Solutions for Your Life - UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Click on photo to view full size.

Perennial Peanut
Species:	Perennial Peanut
Scientific Name:	Arachis glabrata
Cultivars:	Florigraze, Arbrook. Older cultivars (Arb and Arblick) are not recommended because of slower establishment and productivity.
Growth Habit:	1/2 to 1 1/2 feet tall, sod forming growth. Four leaflets per leaf. Bright yellow flowers.
Life Cycle:	Perennial
Origin:	South America
Production Season:	March to October
Nutritive Value:	Perennial peanut is a high quality forage legume. Plant parts analysis regardless of maturity has shown leaf and stem digestibilities exceeding 60% and 50%. Crude protein ranges from 13 to 18% depending on maturity and leaf/stem ratio. Usually medium to high crude protein; medium to high digestibility.
Use:	Mostly for hay, also for grazing, pasture
Herbarium Image:	For an herbarium image click this link, and this link.
Adaptation
Soil:	Sandy loam. Adapted to well drained sites. It will not persist in soils that are under water saturation for more than 2 weeks.
pH:	5.8 to 7.0. If pH is too high it will develop iron chlorosis
Rainfall:	Above 30 inches during the growing season; possibly less (25 inches) if the water holding capacity of the soil is greater.
Temperature:	Cold tolerant up to north-west Florida (<15°F)
Management
Planting Date:	December to March
Planting Depth:	1-2 inches
Seeding Rate:	80 to 100 bu/acre (assuming 1 bu= 1.25 cubic ft); if planting by weight 900 to 1200 lb/acre (1 bu= 11 to 15 lb, highly variable depending on how wet the sprigs are when dug) 1 acre of perennial peanut nursery allows to plant 20 acres more or less. If planting with sod more acres of nursery are required.
Seed Cost:	$3/bu; custom sprigged is approx. $275/acre + delivery costs ($2.50 per loaded mile)
Fertilization:	For fertilization info click this link
Production:	per cutting: 2000-3000 lb/acre season total: 7000-10000 lb/acre
Notes
Inoculation of the rhizomes with the N fixing bacteria (Rhizobium) is not necessary because it is passed with the planting material. Need to allow for rhizome development before a killing frost (to avoid reduced yield in spring). Arbrook has more erect growth, and larger rhizomes that provide good spring growth. For large acreage, a small section of Arbrook in a Florigraze field is recommended to obtain the additional early spring growth. Similar to alfalfa in quality.

Perennial Peanut

Adaptation

Management

Notes