Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) belong to the family Fabaceae. The genus Arachis has more than 70 wild species, of which only Arachis hypogaea L. is domesticated and commonly cultivated. They can grow in a wide range of soils, with the exception of saline soils since they have a low salt tolerance. Peanut is a self-pollinated annual legume crop with a growing period of about 5 months. After flower pollination, pegs (stalks that hold the flower) lean over into the soil, where seed-containing pods are formed and developed.