Research and development of technologies for groundnut/wheat intercropping in Henan province

Henan is one of the major groundnut-growing provinces in China, currently with an area of about 670 000 ha and total annual production of 1.6 million t pods. Since the early 1980s, wheat/groundnut intercropping systems have become increasingly important in groundnut production, and have resulted in a dramatic area expansion and significant yield increases in groundnut. Studies on both varieties and cultural techniques have been conducted in an effort to further improve groundnut yield. The yield potential of the varieties used ranges from 6.0 t to 8.0 t ha(-1). Appropriate cultural measures such as sowing date, plant density, fertilizer application, and field management were recommended in accordance with local agricultural production levels after a series of experiments. Groundnut production was significantly enhanced, and vast economic benefits obtained through effective extension of these yield-improving techniques. The difficulties involved in sowing groundnuts in wheat fields, and low levels of mechanization were identified as common problems of groundnut production in wheat/groundnut intercropping systems.