Groundnut is the twelfth most important crop in the world, occupying some 19 million
hectares in the warm temperate and tropical zones bounded by the 400 line of latitude. it is
usually grown under rainfed conditions, but there are some areas in which it is grown under
irrigation. World production in 1987 was 20 million tonnes in shell, most of which (12.8
million tonnes) was produced in Asia; of this amount, China produced 6.1 million tonnes
while India produced 4.5 million tonnes. Africa produced 4.7 million tonnes. Worldwide,
average yields by country range from 0.43 tonnesha to 4.60 tonnestha (FAO. 1987). Rainfed
crops are often grown under low-input conditions, and even in those developing countries
where fertilizers and pesticides are available on the market, many small farmers do not have
sufficient resources to make use of them. There is thus a strong incentive todevelop varieties
with pest and disease resistance, tolerance to poor soils, and the ability to yield under lowmoisture
regimes