Grow Groundnuts Vertical Farming Upwards with Efficient Technology

Vertical farming represents a profound shift in agricultural practices, moving cultivation from vast, flat fields to vertically stacked layers within controlled indoor environments. Groundnut vertical farming, therefore, applies these advanced, resource-efficient methods to cultivate..

This innovative method typically operates inside structures such as warehouses, repurposed shipping containers, or specialized greenhouses, allowing for precise environmental management.

Vertical farming predominantly employs soilless cultivation techniques, most commonly hydroponics, where plant roots are immersed directly in nutrient-rich water, or aeroponics, which involves spraying roots with a fine nutrient mist.

Defining Groundnut Vertical Farming

Arachis hypogaea in a highly controlled indoor setting. This transition from traditional outdoor agriculture to indoor, vertical systems signifies a fundamental re-imagining of how food is produced. Groundnut vertical farming, therefore, applies these advanced, resource-efficient methods to cultivate.

This re-imagining is driven by increasing global population figures, with projections indicating a need to feed over 2 billion additional people by 2050, while the amount of irrigable land remains largely static.

Such pressures underscore the necessity for innovative solutions beyond conventional farming to meet future food demands.

Potential Benefits Versus Inherent Challenges

The appeal of vertical farming is rooted in its numerous environmental and production advantages.

It dramatically reduces land use, with some vertical farms achieving yields 10 to 20 times higher per acre than open-field farming for certain crops, and even up to 240 times for others.

This capability allows for food production in densely populated urban centers, on rooftops, or within existing infrastructure, directly addressing the depletion of arable land.

Water efficiency is another significant benefit, as hydroponic systems can use between 90% and 98% less water compared to traditional methods due to the recirculation of water within a closed-loop system.

The controlled environment also facilitates consistent, year-round production, liberating growers from seasonal limitations and the unpredictable impacts of extreme weather events like droughts or floods.

Moreover, CEA minimizes the need for chemical pesticides by naturally excluding pests and significantly reduces the risk of foodborne pathogen contamination, thereby enhancing food safety.

Table: Key Benefits for Crop Production

Niche Potential Experimental/High-Value Approach

Given the significant economic and biological hurdles, groundnut vertical farming is not currently viewed as a viable replacement for the traditional mass production of commodity peanuts. Instead, it is largely considered an experimental and high-value approach.

Vertical farming, as an “emerging technology,” holds “tremendous growth potential,” but this growth is fundamentally contingent on substantial improvements in environmental control, automation, and a significant reduction in energy costs.

Currently, vertical farming finds its most successful and economically viable applications in “high value products such as salad vegetables,” herbs, and some berries. Research efforts are actively underway to adapt a wider variety of crops to vertical farming systems, but success has primarily been limited to plants that can be grown hydroponically, exhibit relatively short and compact growth forms, and are easily harvested.

 The Unique Biology of Groundnuts

A. The Pegging Process

The most formidable biological obstacle to cultivating groundnuts in vertical farming systems is their distinctive reproductive process known as geocarpy. Unlike the vast majority of plants that form fruits above ground, groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) produce flowers aerially.

However, after successful fertilization, their ovaries develop into specialized, elongated structures called gynophores, commonly referred to as “pegs”.

These pegs exhibit a strong positive gravitropism, meaning they grow downwards and actively penetrate the soil or a suitable growing medium to allow the pods to form and mature underground.

This penetration is not merely a preference but a critical requirement; if the pegs fail to enter the medium, the developing embryo aborts, leading to significant yield loss.

The tip of the peg is specifically adapted to be sharp, enabling it to penetrate the medium to a depth typically ranging from 1 to 7 centimeters. Pods usually reach their full size approximately 3 to 4 weeks after the peg successfully enters the substrate.

This geocarpic nature of groundnuts, which mandates that pegs penetrate a medium and develop in darkness under mechanical stress, represents a fundamental biological incompatibility with most standard vertical farming systems.

These systems, such as Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) or aeroponics, are typically designed for crops whose roots are suspended in water or mist and whose fruits develop above ground, like leafy greens or strawberries. Such designs inherently lack the solid, dark, and supportive medium essential for groundnut pegs to penetrate and for pods to properly develop.

This core biological requirement directly conflicts with the typical space-saving and soilless design principles of vertical farms, making geocarpy the most significant and challenging hurdle for groundnut cultivation in these advanced systems.

B. Root Structure (Significance of Deep Taproots)

Beyond the unique pegging process, the natural root architecture of the groundnut plant presents another considerable challenge for vertical farming environments. Peanuts are characterized by a prominent, deep taproot complemented by an extensive, widespread network of lateral roots.

This robust and expansive root system is naturally adapted to efficiently absorb water and nutrients by reaching into deeper soil layers, a trait particularly crucial for the plant’s resilience during periods of drought in traditional field settings.

The extensive and adaptable nature of this root system allows groundnuts to thrive across diverse soil types and enhances their capacity to cope with both water and nutrient shortages in conventional agricultural landscapes.

This forces the adoption of deeper growing layers or specialized containers, which in turn diminishes the overall number of vertical layers that can be stacked, thereby reducing the very “vertical” space-saving advantage that is a primary benefit of this farming method.

C. Growth Habit

Groundnut plants are generally low-growing, multi-branched annuals. Cultivated varieties typically fall into two main botanical groups:

• Virginia
• Spanish-Valencia.

Virginia types can exhibit either a runner (prostrate, with stems trailing extensively over the ground) or a spreading bunch habit (an erect main stem with branches that trail along the ground), often producing two large seeds per pod.

In contrast, Spanish and Valencia types are usually more erect and sparsely branched, with their pods concentrated closer to the central axis, and often yield three or four smaller seeds per pod.

Furthermore, groundnuts exhibit an indeterminate growth habit, meaning they continuously produce new leaves and stems while simultaneously flowering and developing pods. This spreading and indeterminate growth pattern significantly impacts the efficiency of space utilization within a vertical farm.

While optimal plant spacing can vary by type (closer for erect varieties, wider for spreading ones) and can influence yield , the overall bushy or vining nature of many groundnut varieties makes them less suitable for the high-density, compact stacking typically employed for leafy greens or herbs in vertical systems.

D. Light & Temperature Needs

Precise control over light and temperature is a defining characteristic of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and is absolutely critical for the successful cultivation of groundnuts. For temperature, groundnut seeds germinate most effectively within a range of 68-95°F (20-35°C), with an advised minimum average soil temperature of 65°F (18°C) at a 4-inch depth for planting.

Optimal temperatures for flowering and fruit-setting are even more specific, ideally ranging between 83-91°F (28-33°C). Plant growth can be significantly hindered at temperatures below 60°F (15.5°C) and above 95°F (35°C), and excessively high daily maximum temperatures can reduce flower production and pollination success.

Regarding light, it serves as the primary energy source for photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert light into energy for growth. The intensity, quality (spectrum), and duration of light exposure are all crucial factors influencing crop growth and characteristics.

Specifically, blue light is essential for regulating overall plant growth and stimulating chlorophyll production, while red light is vital for photosynthesis and promoting flowering. For optimal plant development, growers must consider the Daily Light Integral (DLI), which is the total sum of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) received over a 24-hour period, and Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD), which measures the instantaneous light intensity.

Vertical Farming Techniques

A. System Selection & Major Challenges

The selection of an appropriate vertical farming system for groundnuts is heavily dictated by the plant’s unique biological requirements, particularly the pegging process and deep root structure.

1. Hydroponics (NFT, DWC)
Hydroponic systems, which involve growing plants without soil by using nutrient-rich water, are widely adopted in vertical farming. Two common types are

• • Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
  • Deep Water Culture (DWC).

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
NFT systems circulate a thin film of nutrient solution over plant roots, making them highly efficient for small, fast-growing, shallow-rooted plants like leafy greens and herbs.

Deep Water Culture (DWC)
DWC systems, conversely, keep plant roots fully submerged in a deep, oxygenated nutrient solution, often favored for slightly larger plants.

However, both NFT and DWC systems present significant feasibility issues for groundnuts. Their designs, optimized for minimal space and aerial fruiting, fundamentally conflict with the groundnut’s need for pegs to penetrate a solid medium and for pods to develop underground.

The shallow nature of NFT channels and the water-submerged roots of DWC do not provide the necessary physical support or darkness for peg penetration and pod formation. While modifications such as deeper channels or troughs could be explored, they would inherently reduce the vertical stacking density, diminishing a core advantage of these systems.

2. Aeroponics
Aeroponics involves suspending plant roots in the air and periodically spraying them with a fine, nutrient-filled mist. This method offers advantages such as superior root oxygenation and even greater water efficiency than hydroponics. NASA, for example, has utilized aeroponics in space research programs due to its minimal water volume and weight requirements.

Despite these benefits, aeroponics faces major challenges in supporting groundnut cultivation. The absence of a solid growing medium means there is no substrate for the pegs to penetrate, and no mechanical stress or darkness for the pods to develop.

While trellising can be used to support large fruit-bearing plants in aeroponics, it does not address the underground fruiting habit of groundnuts. Therefore, aeroponics, in its current common forms, is largely unsuitable for groundnut production without radical modifications to accommodate geocarpy.

3. Tower Systems
Vertical tower systems are stacked, column-like structures that allow plants to grow in multiple layers, maximizing space efficiency. These systems are highly effective for crops like lettuce, spinach, kale, basil, and strawberries, which have compact growth forms and shallow root systems. They are designed to allow dozens of plants to thrive in minimal floor space.

However, tower systems present significant limitations for groundnuts. Their design, with individual plant sites often spaced just a few inches apart and limited depth for root expansion, is fundamentally incompatible with the groundnut’s deep taproot and extensive lateral root system.

More critically, these towers offer no mechanism for the pegs to penetrate a supportive medium and develop underground, rendering them largely unsuitable for groundnut cultivation.

4. Modified Container/Trough Systems
The most plausible approach for groundnut vertical farming involves the use of modified container or trough systems. These systems would need to be designed as deep, wide containers filled with a loose, supportive substrate or media that mimics soil conditions to facilitate peg penetration and pod development.

Repurposed shipping containers, for instance, are already being utilized as modular, controlled-environment farming units for other crops. These “Growtainers” or “Freight Farms” offer fully insulated, customizable, and stackable environments that can provide optimal conditions for a range of plants.

Adapting such modular units to include deep troughs or beds would allow for the necessary substrate depth for groundnuts while retaining some of the benefits of controlled environment agriculture.

B. Need for Deep, Loose, Well-Draining Media

The “substrate dilemma” for groundnut vertical farming centers on the critical need to provide a growing medium that supports both root development and the unique pegging process. Groundnuts require a deep, loose, and well-draining substrate to facilitate peg penetration and subsequent pod development.

Traditional field studies indicate that sandy loam soils, which offer good aeration, drainage, and moisture retention, are ideal for groundnut growth and yield formation.

In a soilless vertical farming context, suitable mixes might include combinations of peat, perlite, and coco coir. Coco coir, derived from coconut husks, is a popular organic medium known for its excellent water retention while still allowing for good root aeration.

It is also slightly acidic, has a near-neutral pH, and is considered eco-friendly. Perlite, a natural volcanic mineral, is valued for its high oxygen retention, porosity, strong capillary action, and sterility, making it suitable for seed starting. Vermiculite, another micaceous mineral, also offers high cation exchange capacity and excellent water-holding capacity.

Lighting Strategies

Effective lighting strategies are paramount in groundnut vertical farming, as artificial light sources must replace natural sunlight to drive photosynthesis and regulate plant development. The intensity, spectrum (color), and duration of light exposure significantly influence plant growth and characteristics.

For groundnuts, lighting recipes must be carefully tailored to different growth stages. During the vegetative growth phase, blue light is particularly important for regulating plant growth and stimulating chlorophyll production.

As the plants transition to flowering and pod fill, red light becomes more critical for photosynthesis and promoting the production of phytochromes, which control the plant’s response to light. While red and blue wavelengths are essential, green light can also contribute to overall crop health.

The overall amount of light a plant receives is measured by the Daily Light Integral (DLI), which is the sum of all instantaneous light intensities (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density or PPFD) over a 24-hour period. Generally, higher DLI values promote better growth and higher yields, though each species has an optimal intensity beyond which efficiency diminishes.

For groundnuts, higher light intensities, particularly during critical growth phases, can foster more compact and robust growth. Adjusting the distance between the LED lights and the crop, or varying light intensity based on the plant’s growth stage, can optimize lighting efficiency and reduce energy consumption.

Critical Challenges & Limitations

A. The Pegging Problem

The geocarpic nature of groundnuts remains the paramount technical hurdle for their cultivation in vertical farms. This unique biological process requires the plant’s fertilized ovaries to develop into “pegs” that must grow downwards and penetrate a supportive medium, typically soil, to form and mature into pods underground.

The successful development of the embryo and subsequent pod formation is contingent upon the pegs being in the presence of darkness and experiencing mechanical stress from the surrounding medium. If pegs fail to penetrate the substrate, the developing embryo aborts, leading directly to yield loss.

Most conventional vertical farming systems are designed for crops that fruit above ground or are leafy greens, and thus lack the necessary deep, dark, and physically supportive environment required for groundnut pegging and pod development. This fundamental biological requirement necessitates radical rethinking of vertical farm architecture for groundnuts.

B. Space & Depth Requirements

The groundnut plant’s natural morphology, characterized by a deep taproot and a spreading lateral root system, along with its indeterminate and often bushy or vining growth habit, makes it inherently less space-efficient for vertical stacking compared to the compact leafy greens and herbs typically grown in vertical farms.

To accommodate the deep root system and the critical pegging process, groundnut vertical farming systems would require significantly deeper growing layers or containers. For instance, growing groundnuts in pots or raised beds typically requires a depth of at least 18-20 inches per plant.

This need for substantial vertical depth per plant directly reduces the number of layers that can be stacked within a given vertical space, thereby diminishing the primary space-saving advantage that defines vertical farming.

The necessity for such deep growing layers means that the overall density of plants per cubic foot is considerably lower than what is achievable with typical vertical farm crops, making it a less efficient use of expensive vertical real estate.

C. Yield & Economic Viability

The economic viability of groundnut vertical farming faces significant hurdles due to the combination of current low yield potential per square foot or meter for groundnuts and the inherently high setup and operational costs of vertical farms.

While vertical farming has shown profitability for high-value crops like microgreens in certain regions, it struggles to compete economically for many other crops, including groundnuts, which are typically commodity crops.

A major driver of these high costs is energy consumption. Vertical farms exhibit a significantly higher average energy use, consuming approximately 38.8 kWh per kilogram of produce, in stark contrast to traditional greenhouses which average 5.4 kWh per kilogram.

This substantial energy demand, primarily for artificial lighting and climate control, translates into high operational expenses. The harsh reality is that producing crops in a vertical farm often costs considerably more than traditional farming methods.

D. Nutrient Management

Groundnuts have a unique and critical requirement for calcium, particularly during the pod development stage, which poses a specific challenge for soilless vertical farming systems. Unlike most plants where nutrients are absorbed by roots and translocated throughout the plant, groundnut pods directly absorb calcium from the surrounding soil or growing medium in the pegging zone.

A deficiency of calcium in the top 3 to 4 inches of the growing medium (the pegging zone) can lead to serious problems at harvest, including “pops” (undeveloped kernels), poor seed germination, an increased risk of aflatoxin contamination, and pod rot or breakdown.

The challenge is compounded by the fact that these deficiency symptoms often become apparent only at harvest, when it is too late to intervene.

Therefore, precise nutrient management in groundnut vertical farming must include strategies for direct calcium application to the pegging zone and continuous monitoring of nutrient levels, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) to ensure optimal conditions for pod development.

E. Pollination

Groundnuts are self-pollinating plants, meaning they do not typically require external agents like bees or wind for successful fertilization. This inherent self-pollination simplifies one aspect of controlled environment agriculture that can be a major hurdle for other flowering crops, where manual or technological pollination solutions are often economically unsustainable at scale.

However, ensuring good flower health and consistent peg initiation in a controlled environment still requires careful management. Environmental factors such as high temperatures or moisture stress can severely impact the flowering response, reducing the number of flowers produced and potentially affecting subsequent peg development.

While the plant is self-pollinating, maintaining optimal humidity, temperature, and light conditions is crucial to support robust flowering and the successful formation of pegs that can then grow downwards to form pods.

F. Harvesting Complexity

The underground development of groundnut pods presents a significant challenge for harvesting, particularly within the confined and stacked structures of a vertical farm.

In traditional field agriculture, peanut harvesting is a two-stage mechanized process involving digging and inverting, which can still lead to high loss rates, sometimes exceeding 30% of total production, with 60% to 70% of losses occurring during the digging stage.

Adapting such a process to a vertical farm, where plants are grown in stacked layers or deep containers, introduces immense complexity. Accessing and extracting mature pods cleanly and efficiently from a substrate within a vertical structure, without damaging the plants or the pods, is a major technical hurdle.

Current robotics in agriculture are still developing and are primarily focused on above-ground crops, with significant challenges in cost, complexity, and adaptability to unstructured environments.

Developing automated harvesting mechanisms for groundnuts in a vertical farm would require entirely new robotic solutions capable of precisely navigating deep substrates, identifying mature pods, and extracting them with minimal damage and loss, a technology that is not yet mature.

Potential Solutions & Innovative Approaches

Addressing the unique challenges of groundnut vertical farming necessitates a multi-faceted approach, combining advancements in plant science, engineering, and market strategy.

i. Developing Dwarf Varieties

One promising long-term solution lies in plant breeding. Developing new groundnut varieties specifically tailored for vertical farming environments could mitigate many current challenges. This involves breeding for dwarf or bush varieties with more compact growth habits and shorter pegs, which would be better suited for the confined spaces of vertical systems and reduce the required depth for pod development.

A more ambitious, long-term vision could involve exploring genetic modifications or selection for potentially aerial podding traits. While groundnuts are uniquely geocarpic, understanding the molecular mechanisms governing peg development and pod formation could theoretically lead to varieties where pods develop above ground, or at least require less subterranean depth and mechanical stress.

Advances in high-throughput phenotyping, utilizing technologies like drones and ground-penetrating radar, are already transforming peanut breeding by increasing the speed and precision of data acquisition for both above- and below-ground traits, offering a pathway to identify and select for these desirable characteristics.

ii. Novel System Designs

To accommodate the geocarpic nature and deep root requirements of groundnuts, novel vertical farming system designs are crucial. Instead of standard shallow trays or towers, concepts for specialized “peg chambers” or modular deep-cell systems within vertical racks are being explored.

These designs would provide sufficient depth and a suitable substrate for pegs to penetrate and pods to develop, while still allowing for vertical stacking of multiple layers.

Repurposed shipping containers, already used as modular, climate-controlled farming environments (e.g., “Growtainers” or “Freight Farms”), offer a flexible platform for such innovations. These units are fully insulated, customizable, and stackable, providing a controlled environment for growing a wide range of crops.

Adapting these modular units to incorporate deep troughs or beds filled with an appropriate substrate would allow for the necessary depth for groundnuts while maintaining the benefits of controlled environment agriculture.

iii. Hybrid Systems

A pragmatic approach to groundnut vertical farming could involve hybrid systems that combine the benefits of vertical and horizontal cultivation. This concept would integrate vertical stages for the initial vegetative growth phase of the groundnut plant with separate horizontal, “soil-like” beds for the critical pegging and podding stages.

During the early vegetative phase, plants could be grown in space-efficient vertical racks using hydroponic or aeroponic techniques, maximizing the benefits of controlled light, temperature, and nutrient delivery for rapid leaf and stem development.

Once the plants reach the flowering and pegging stages (around 40 days after planting, when pegs become visible ), they could be transferred to horizontal beds filled with a deep, loose substrate that facilitates peg penetration and underground pod formation.

This hybrid model would leverage the space-saving and environmental control advantages of vertical farming for the initial growth, while accommodating the unique geocarpic requirements of groundnuts in a more traditional, albeit still controlled, horizontal setting.

Such a system could potentially optimize resource use and yield while overcoming the primary biological incompatibility of groundnuts with purely vertical designs.

iv. Focus on High-Value Niches

Given the inherent complexities and high costs associated with groundnut vertical farming, its economic viability is most likely to be found in targeting high-value niche markets rather than competing with traditional commodity peanut production.

This strategy aligns with the broader trend in vertical farming, which has found success with premium products like specialty leafy greens and herbs.

Potential high-value applications for vertically farmed groundnuts include:

a. Gourmet Peanuts
Cultivating specific varieties known for superior quality, unique flavor profiles, or aesthetic appeal that command premium prices in specialty food markets.

b. Seed Production
Producing high-quality, certified seeds for specific groundnut cultivars, where controlled environments can ensure purity, disease-free status, and consistent germination rates. This is particularly relevant for new, improved varieties.

c. Pharmaceutical Compounds/Nutraceuticals
Groundnuts, particularly their hulls, are rich sources of beneficial phytonutrients like polyphenols, flavonoids, and resveratrol, which are used in pharmaceuticals and nutritional supplements. Vertical farming could be optimized to enhance the production of these specific compounds, creating a high-value product for the health and wellness industry.

d. Research Applications
Vertical farms can serve as controlled research platforms for studying groundnut genetics, physiology, and breeding, where the precision of the environment justifies the higher operational costs.

By focusing on these specialized markets, the premium pricing achievable for such products could potentially offset the elevated setup and operational costs of vertical groundnut cultivation, making it an economically sustainable venture in specific contexts.

Current Status & Future Outlook

A. Largely Experimental/Prototype Stage

Groundnut vertical farming remains largely in the experimental and prototype stages, with few, if any, commercial examples currently in operation. The field is predominantly driven by research efforts, with institutions like the USDA and various universities exploring the potential of vertical farming and Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) for a range of crops.

For instance, Illinois State University launched its first Vertical Farm in 2025, housed in a repurposed shipping container, focusing on student learning and sustainable food production for leafy greens, not groundnuts.

While the broader vertical farming market is experiencing growth and attracted substantial funding of $2.4 billion in 2022, many startups have struggled to scale, achieve profitability, or even survive due to fundamental inefficiencies and high operating costs.

This indicates that even for more amenable crops, economic viability is a persistent challenge, further underscoring the experimental nature of groundnut cultivation in such systems.

B. Key Research Areas

Continued research is critical to advancing the feasibility of groundnut vertical farming. Key areas of focus include:

I. Optimizing Substrate
Extensive research is needed to identify and optimize soilless substrate compositions that effectively facilitate peg penetration and provide the necessary dark, moist, and mechanically supportive environment for pod development.

This involves exploring various mixes of coco coir, perlite, peat, and other inert media, ensuring they meet the unique physical and chemical requirements for geocarpy.

II. Lighting Recipes
Developing precise lighting recipes, including optimal intensity, spectrum, and duration, is crucial for each growth stage of the groundnut plant, from vegetative growth to flowering and pod fill. Research aims to maximize photosynthesis and yield while minimizing energy consumption.

III. Nutrient Formulations
Tailored nutrient formulations are essential, particularly addressing the groundnut’s specific and high calcium requirements for pod development, which must be absorbed directly by the pods from the pegging zone.

Research will focus on precise delivery methods and monitoring to prevent deficiencies that lead to yield and quality issues.

IV. System Geometry
Innovative system designs are needed to accommodate the groundnut’s deep taproot and spreading growth habit, as well as the pegging process. This includes developing modular deep-cell systems, specialized peg chambers, or modified container/trough designs that balance space efficiency with biological requirements.

C. Technological Leaps Needed

Significant technological advancements are required for groundnut vertical farming to move beyond its current experimental phase.

i. Automation
The complexities of planting, tending, and especially harvesting groundnuts in a vertical, multi-layered system demand sophisticated automation. Current agricultural robotics are not yet capable of efficiently managing the delicate and underground harvesting process of groundnuts, which traditionally involves digging and inverting, leading to high losses.

Breakthroughs in robotic manipulation, sensing, and AI for subterranean operations are essential to reduce labor costs and improve efficiency.

ii. Energy Efficiency
Reducing the substantial energy consumption of vertical farms, particularly for lighting and HVAC systems, is paramount for economic viability. Innovations in LED technology, climate control systems, and renewable energy integration are critical to lowering operational costs and improving sustainability.

iii. Plant Breeding
Continued and accelerated plant breeding efforts are needed to develop groundnut varieties specifically adapted to vertical farming conditions. This includes creating more compact, dwarf, or determinate growth habit varieties, and potentially exploring genetic pathways for shorter pegs or even aerial podding to simplify cultivation and harvesting.

D. Realistic Future Potential

The realistic future potential for groundnut vertical farming is likely to remain limited to very specific, high-value applications or research purposes, rather than becoming a widespread replacement for traditional field production of commodity peanuts.

The fundamental biological challenge of geocarpy, coupled with the high capital and operational costs, makes it difficult for vertically farmed groundnuts to compete on price with conventionally grown peanuts.

While vertical farming as a whole is an “emerging technology” with “tremendous growth potential” for certain crops like leafy greens , its application to groundnuts is inherently more specialized. It is improbable that vertical farms will replace the vast acreage dedicated to traditional peanut cultivation for edible oil or snack production in the foreseeable future.

Instead, its role will likely be confined to producing premium-priced gourmet varieties, specialized seeds, or groundnuts cultivated for specific nutraceutical or pharmaceutical compounds, where the controlled environment can add significant value that justifies the higher production expenses.

Conclusion

Groundnut vertical farming stands as a compelling, yet highly challenging, frontier in Controlled Environment Agriculture. The core technical hurdles revolve around the groundnut’s unique geocarpic nature, which demands that its pods develop underground in specific conditions of darkness, mechanical stress, and a supportive medium.

This biological imperative clashes directly with the space-saving, soilless designs of most conventional vertical farming systems. Furthermore, the plant’s deep root structure and often spreading growth habit necessitate substantial modifications to system geometry, making efficient vertical stacking difficult and reducing the inherent space-saving advantage.