CROP HUSBANDRY-GROUNDNUT CULTIVATION PRACTICES IN KERALA

GROUNDNUT (Arachis hypogaea)


Groundnut can be cultivated as a floor crop in coconut gardens, as an intercrop with tapioca and as a catch crop after second crop paddy with irrigation. The crop is grown best in sandy loam and loam soils.

Season

Rainfed: May-June to September-October
Irrigated: January to May

Varieties with Duration(in days)
TMV-2 (bunch type) 110
TMV-7 (bunch type) 110
TG-3 (bunch type) 100-110
TG-14 (bunch type) 105-115
Spanish Improved 100-110
Sneha (bunch type) Early
Snigtha (bunch type) Early

Note: TG-3, TMV-2 and TMV-7 are recommended as intercrops in coconut gardens.

Seeds and sowing
Pure Crop 100kg kernels/ha
Intercrop in coconut 80kg kernels/ha
Intercrop in tapioca 40-50kg kernels/ha


Plough the field three or four times into a fine tilth. Sow the seeds by dibbling in ploughed furrows at a spacing of 15 x 15 cm. For seed treatment the rhizobial culture is recommended.

Manuring
Cattle manure or compost 2 t/ha
Lime 1-1.5 t/ha
Fertilizers N:P2O5:K2O 10:75:75 kg/ha

Apply entire quantity of cattle manure or compost and recommended quantity of fertilizers as basal dressing and incorporate well into the soil. Apply lime at the time of flowering of the crop and mix with the soil by light hoeing or raking.

Irrigation and interculture

Irrigate the crop once in 7 days. Weed the crop 10-15 days after germination of seed by light hoeing. Give another light hoeing or raking at the time of application of lime. Do not disturb the soil after 45 days of sowing.

Plant protection

Red hairy caterpillar, termites and leaf miners are the major pests of groundnut. Against leaf miner apply any of the organophosphorus insecticides with contact action. Spraying carbaryl 0.15% controls red hairy caterpillars. Against ants / earwigs / termites damaging the pods, apply carbaryl 10% DP in soil at the time of seeding.
Tikka leaf spot disease infects both the rainfed and irrigated crops. Prophylactic spraying with Bordeaux mixture 1% before flowering will control the disease.

Harvesting

The crop will be ready for harvest when the leaves start yellowing and begin to dry up. Development of brown colour inside the pods also indicates maturity of the crop.