Evaluating Groundnut Yield and Resilience under Resource Constraints in Pollachi Taluk, Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Groundnut is an energy rich crop but grown under energy starved conditions. A field experiment was conducted at Coconut Research Station, Aliyarnagar with eight treatments comprising of T1 – Complete pack of practice, T2 : T1 – Fertilizer, T3 : T1 – Plant Protection, T4 : T1 – Weeding, T5 : T1 – (Fertilizer + Weeding), T6 : T1 – (Plant Protection + Weeding), T7 : T1 – (Fertilizer + Plant Protection) and T8: T1 – (Fertilizer + Plant Protection + Weeding)  in Randomized Block Design with each of the above treatments replicated thrice to elicit the impact of resource constraints on the cultivation of kharif groundnut.  Growth attributes like plant height and number of branches together with yield attributes and yield were higher in the treatment which received complete package of practice. Of the individual constraints, unweeded plots had a drowning effect on yield and in the interaction effects, treatment devoid of weeding and fertilizer application had a negative impact on yield. Net returns and BCR were higher in T1 (2.60) and the lowest benefit was witnessed in T7 (1.92), the treatment which lacks fertilizer and plant protection.