Analysis on Technology Status and Development of Peanut Harvest Mechanization of China and the United States

Abstract

Peanut is a very important crop for production and trade of edible oil in the world and in China. China is the largest peanut producer in total annual production which accounted for about 40% and the second-largest in peanut area planted accounted for about 20% in the world just followed India. However, although to be not as the large peanut producers as China, India and Nigeria, the United States, Argentina and Brazil all are the quite important peanut exporters in the world and respectively accounted for 16.03%, 23.58% and 4.72% of the world export peanut in 2016. Especially in the United States, the peanut area planted only accounted for about 2.46%, but total annual peanut production accounted for about 6.11% and export peanut accounted for 16.03% in 2016, which made the United States become the strongest peanut nation in the world. Based on comprehensively analysis, the main reason why the United States has been the strongest peanut nation is that high level harvest mechanization played an important role in peanut production. Harvesting is a key part in peanut production, it accounted for more than 60% labor employment of the whole process. China and the United States are both the important peanut production and export superpowers in the world, but the Chinese peanut production level especially harvest mechanization level is far below that of the United States, which causes peanut export international competition difference. The American two-stage mechanization harvesting pattern and peanut harvest mechanization technology lead to its peanut production with high yield, quality, efficiency and great international market competitive advantages. However, there are several peanut mechanization harvest pattern coexisted in China and of which the low harvest mechanization level restricted its peanut production benefit and export competitiveness. Based on systematic analysis about large relevant literature and practices on peanut production, the development and technology status, history and main reasons of peanut harvest mechanization of China and the United States were deeply analyzed. The structure principles and characteristics of the newest peanut harvest machine, including peanut digger, peanut combine and peanut harvester in two stages in both China and the United States were respectively introduced and contrasted. Through comprehensive studies on the natural condition, history and social surroundings of peanut production development, the main promoting factors which enhanced American peanut harvest mechanization and the main restricting factors of China were discovered, which had important significance to accurately comprehend the improvement of peanut production and harvest mechanization of the two countries. In the end, the development trend and key point for studying on Chinese peanut harvest mechanization were put forward, which had certain reference value for enhancing Chinese peanut harvest mechanization development, and taking some suitable measures to accelerate Chinese peanut harvest mechanization development.

Keywords: peanut, harvest machine, diggers, picking harvesters, China, the Unisted States