Abstract: The effects of three peanut cultivation modes on Arachis hypogaea yield and precipitation utilization were studied through located monitoring in the red soil arid slopeland. Results showed that the mode of transverse furrow plus straw cover (modeⅠ) got the highest yield (3 993.2 kg/ hm² ) and was best in terms of precipitation utilization ratio (74.69%). In the modeⅠ, the apparent ratios of biological and economic utilization of the water were 0.645 2 and 0.311 9 kg/ m³, respectively, while the actual ratios of biological and economic utilization of the water were 0.860 7 and 0.410 7 kg/ m3, respectively. The mode of transverse furrow plus plant hedgerows (modeⅡ) had the moderate performance, and the mode of traditional longitudinal cultivation (mode Ⅲ) was the worst, which was not only adverse to the increasing yield of the Arachis hypogaea but also aggravated the soil erosion and the loss of water and fertilizer. Therefore, we should choose the modeⅠas far as possible in the Arachis hypogaea production to ensure the sustainable agricultural development.