Osmaniye Peanuts Peanut; is a leguminous plant whose seeds contain approximately 45-60% oil, 20-30% protein, 18% carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. It is particularly used in the oil industry and snack production, and its stems, dry leaves, and shells are utilized in various forms. There are 32 identified species of peanuts, some of which are annual, while others are perennial. Peanut cultivation in Turkey yields more than twice the world average. Plant Characteristics: Peanuts are a taprooted plant. About 60-75% of the flowers from a plant, which produces 600-1000 flowers, are fertilized to form gynophores. Of these, 8-13% enter the soil to form fruit. Fruits are formed approximately 60 days after flowering. The fruit nodes are around 1-4. The shell ratio is between 20-40%. Each fruit contains 2-4 seeds. The wrinkles on the shell are deep, the fibers are partially peeled, and the color of peanuts varies from cream to light brown. They are large or medium-sized, have a weakly textured shell, and the seed coats range from light brown to dark brown. Planting: Depending on soil structure and variety, peanuts are planted with row spacings of 75-90 cm, at a depth of 5-9 cm, and placed 15-20 cm apart. In our region, they are planted as the first crop between April 10 and May 20, and as a second crop after wheat harvesting. The growth period is divided into initiation (10-20 days), vegetative growth (25-35 days), flowering (30-40 days), fruit formation (30-35 days), and harvesting (10-20 days). Seed Composition: The peanut seed consists of two cotyledons covered with a seed coat and one embryo. Based on weight, cotyledons make up an average of 93% of the peanut seed, while seed coat and embryo account for approximately 4% and 3%, respectively. The chemical composition of peanut seeds (gram/100g) is as follows: moisture (3.9-13.2) 5.0, protein (21.0-36.4) 28.5, fat (35.8-54.2) 47.5, cellulose (1.2-4.3) 2.3, ash (1.8-3.1) 2.8, reducing sugars (0.1-0.3) 0.2, disaccharide sugars (1.9-5.2) 4.5, starch (1.0-5.3) 4.0, pentosans (2.2-2.7) 2.5, non-nitrogenous substances (6.0-24.9) 13.3. Raw peanuts have a moisture content of 5-7%. Roasting reduces this to around 2%. Consuming 100g of roasted seeds provides approximately 600 calories, with a fat content of about 50%. Nearly 80% of peanut oil consists of unsaturated fatty acids. Oleic and linoleic acids make up approximately 45% and 35%, respectively, of the unsaturated fatty acids in peanuts. The presence of 0.05% tocopherol in peanut oil is sufficient to prevent oxidation. Peanut seed cotyledons contain about 18% carbohydrates, while the sugar content in the seed coat is around 1%. The starch content ranges from 0.5% to 5%. There is approximately 4-7% sucrose (table sugar). Peeled peanuts have a cellulose content of around 2%. Peanut seeds contain 3% ash. In 100g, there is Potassium 680-890 mg, Calcium 20-80 mg, Magnesium 90-340 mg, Phosphorus 250-660 mg, Sulfur 190-240 mg, Zinc 2-50 mg, Manganese 1-50 mg, Iron 2-100 mg, Copper 1-30 mg, Aluminum 100 mg, Nickel 3-8 mg. It also contains significant amounts of riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, and vitamin E. The amounts of vitamins A, C, and D are negligible. Despite a decrease in thiamine during roasting, there is no significant change in niacin, choline, and riboflavin levels. Approximately 25% of the thiamine in the seed is found in the seed coat.