Peanut Plant Uses

Food

• Peanut plants produce a nut-like seed that is the peanut itself. The nut can be boiled or roasted and eaten out-of-hand. The roasted peanut also is used in a variety of food products including peanut butter, baked goods, sauces, and candies. The nut also is the source of peanut oil, which often is used for cooking and baking.

Livestock feed

• Being rich is protein, the peanut plant itself, including the vines and leaves, is harvested for cattle and horse feed. The seed pods and shells also work as high fiber roughage in animal feeds.

Non-food Products

• Peanuts are used in making personal care items including soaps, cosmetics, shaving cream, face creams, and shampoos. The shells can be manufactured into fireplace logs, mulch, kitty litter and particle board. Peanut plants also contribute to the production of inks, dyes and paints, lubricants, medicines, and explosives.

Soil Improvement

• As part of a crop rotation program, peanuts can help to enrich the soil. Peanuts are legumes and are able to fix nitrogen in their roots. When peanut plants are tilled back into the soil, that nitrogen improves the soil for other crops, such as cotton or wheat, which require nitrogen to grown well.