ABSTRACT
Groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), or “peanuts” as they are known in the United States, are an important oilseed crop belonging to the Fabaceae (Leguminosae). They are cultivated in most of the tropical regions of the world, where rainfall is adequate, lying between the latitudes 40°N and 40°S (McDonald, 1984). The total area devoted to groundnut cultivation is approximately 20 million ha (FAO, 1990; Wynne et al., 1991) and the average annual world production is estimated at 23.1 million t of pods (FAO, 1990).
