KATHERINE may be known for its mangoes and its beef – but if the Territory government gets its way, peanuts will soon be added to the list.
The latest crop of peanuts to be planted at the Katherine Research Station went in on April 21 and Dr Ali Sarkhosh, who is leading the trial, said the point of the experiment was to find the best variety for the region.
“We will also conduct the same trail again in the wet season, to monitor how the peanuts grow in those conditions,” Dr Sarkhosh said.
Some 18 varieties are being put to the test and currently the team of researchers is evaluating ultra early (110 days) and full-season (150 days) experimental peanut lines.
Peanuts have previously been grown in the Territory and Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries Katherine regional director Neil MacDonald said the local belief that they had been a failure was incorrect.
“I think it’s worth remembering that when the peanut company was operating here, it wasn’t a failure at all – they actually had quite good yields,” Mr MacDonald said.
Primary Industry and Fisheries Minister Willem Westra van Holthe also weighed in that the company had ultimately run into some unrelated financial issues.
“At the end of the day, they decided they were processors, rather than growers,” he said.
“So the potential still exists and these trials are underway to find the varieties which give the best yields – and obviously, the higher the yield, the more economical they are to grow.”
From a crop rotation perspective, Dr Sarkhosh said that in Queensland, peanuts were often grown in rotation with grasses.
“It’s a legume, so it’s nitrogen fixing – the next year [farmers] can plant grasses without applying urea or nitrogen,” he said.
Once the trial concludes, Dr Sarkhosh said a paper, which included the team’s findings as to the best agronomic practices, would be submitted to the DPIF and distributed widely for consultation.
Mr Westra van Holthe said he believed peanuts would play a critical role in the government’s diversification program.
“Peanuts are a high-value commodity in strong demand [and] it would be fantastic to see the Northern Territory tap into the peanut market,” he said.
