Editing Peanut (section)

== Varieties ==
=== Cultivars in the United States ===
[[File:Peanut fields in the United States.webp|thumb|Peanut fields in the United States]]
There are many peanut [[cultivar]]s grown around the world. The market classes grown in the United States are Spanish, Runner, Virginia, and Valencia.<ref name="Ruark">{{cite web |url=http://caes2.caes.uga.edu/commodities/fieldcrops/peanuts/production/cultivardescription.html |title=Peanut Cultivars and Descriptions |last=Ruark |first=Elinor |website=caes2.caes.uga.edu |access-date=November 22, 2016 |archive-date=November 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122224427/http://caes2.caes.uga.edu/commodities/fieldcrops/peanuts/production/cultivardescription.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Peanut production in the US is divided into three major areas: the southeastern US region which includes Alabama, Georgia, and Florida; the southwestern US region which includes [[New Mexico]], [[Oklahoma]], and Texas; and the third region in the general eastern US which includes Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.<ref name="Ruark" /> In Georgia, [[Naomi Chapman Woodroof]] is responsible for developing the breeding program of peanuts resulting in a harvest almost five times greater.<ref>{{cite web|title=naomi chapman woodroof; Programs & People Summer 2000|url=https://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/magazine/summer_2000/naomi.html|access-date=April 9, 2021|website=www.cals.uidaho.edu}}</ref>

Certain cultivar groups are preferred for particular characteristics, such as differences in flavor, oil content, size, shape, and [[List of peanut diseases|disease]] resistance.<ref name="Bilello-2016">{{cite book |last=Bilello |first=Stanley |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yZc_DQAAQBAJ&q=flavor,+oil+content,+size,+shape,+and+disease+resistance+peanuts&pg=PA93 |title=21st Century Homestead: Nitrogen-Fixing Crops |date=October 10, 2016 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=9781365452901 |pages=93–94 |language=en}}{{self-published source|date=February 2020}}</ref> Most peanuts marketed in the shell are of the Virginia type, along with some Valencias selected for large size and the attractive appearance of the shell. Spanish peanuts are used mostly for peanut candy, salted nuts, and peanut butter.

==== Spanish group ====<!-- This section is linked from [[Spanish peanut]] -->
The small Spanish types are grown in South Africa and the southwestern and southeastern United States. Until 1940, 90% of the peanuts grown in the [[Georgia (U.S. state)|US state of Georgia]] were Spanish types, but the trend since then has been larger-seeded, higher-yielding, more [[List of peanut diseases|disease]]-resistant cultivars. Spanish peanuts have a higher oil content than other types of peanuts. In the US, the Spanish group is primarily grown in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.<ref name="Ruark" />

Cultivars of the Spanish group include 'Dixie Spanish', 'Improved Spanish 2B', 'GFA Spanish', 'Argentine', 'Spantex', 'Spanette', 'Shaffers Spanish', 'Natal Common (Spanish)', "White Kernel Varieties', 'Starr', 'Comet', 'Florispan', 'Spanhoma', 'Spancross', 'OLin', 'Tamspan 90', 'AT 9899–14', 'Spanco', 'Wilco I', 'GG 2', 'GG 4', 'TMV 2', and 'Tamnut 06'.

==== Runner group ====
Since 1940, the southeastern US region has seen a shift to producing Runner group peanuts. This shift is due to good flavor, better roasting characteristics, and higher yields when compared to Spanish types, leading to food manufacturers' preference for the use in peanut butter and salted nuts. Georgia's production is now almost 100% Runner-type.<ref name="Bilello-2016" />

Cultivars of Runners include 'Southeastern Runner 56-15', 'Dixie Runner', 'Early Runner', 'Virginia Bunch 67', 'Bradford Runner', 'Egyptian Giant' (also known as 'Virginia Bunch' and 'Giant'), 'Rhodesian Spanish Bunch' (Valencia and Virginia Bunch), 'North Carolina Runner 56-15', 'Florunner', 'Virugard', 'Georgia Green', 'Tamrun 96', 'Flavor Runner 458', 'Tamrun OL01', 'Tamrun OL02' 'AT-120', 'Andru-93', 'Southern Runner', 'AT1-1', 'Georgia Brown', 'GK-7', and 'AT-108'.

==== Virginia group ====<!-- This section is linked from [[Virginia peanut]] -->
The large-seeded Virginia group peanuts are grown in the US states of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and parts of Georgia. They are increasing in popularity due to the demand for large peanuts for processing, particularly for salting, confections, and roasting in shells.

Virginia group peanuts are either bunch or running in growth habit. The bunch type is upright to spreading. It attains a height of {{convert|45|to|55|cm|in|abbr=on}}, and a spread of {{convert|70|to|80|cm|in|abbr=on}}, with {{convert|80|to|90|cm|in|abbr=on}} rows that seldom cover the ground. The pods are borne within {{convert|5|to|10|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} of the base of the plant.

Cultivars of Virginia-type peanuts include 'NC 7', 'NC 9', 'NC 10C', 'NC-V 11', 'VA 93B', 'NC 12C', 'VA-C 92R', 'Gregory', 'VA 98R', 'Perry', 'Wilson, 'Hull', 'AT VC-2' and 'Shulamit'.

==== Valencia group ====<!-- This section is linked from [[Valencia peanut]] -->
[[File:Valencia peanuts.jpg|right|thumb|Valencia peanuts]]
Valencia group peanuts are coarse and have heavy reddish stems and large foliage. In the United States, large commercial production is primarily in the [[South Plains]] of [[West Texas]] and in eastern New Mexico near and south of [[Portales, New Mexico|Portales]], but they are grown on a small scale elsewhere in the South as the best-flavored and preferred type for [[boiled peanuts]]. They are comparatively tall, reaching a height of {{convert|125|cm|in|abbr=on}} and a spread of {{convert|75|cm|in|abbr=on}}. Peanut pods are borne on pegs arising from the main stem and the side branches. Most pods are clustered around the base of the plant, and only a few are found several inches away. Valencia types are three- to five-seeded and smooth, with no constriction of the shell between the seeds. Seeds are oval and tightly crowded into the pods. Typical seed weight is 0.4 to 0.5 g. This type is used heavily for selling roasted and salted in-shell peanuts and peanut butter. Varieties include 'Valencia A' and 'Valencia C'.

==== Tennessee Red and Tennessee White groups ====
These are alike except for the color of the seed. Sometimes known also as Texas Red or White, the plants are similar to Valencia types, except the stems are green to greenish brown, and the pods are rough, irregular, and have a smaller proportion of kernels.