Effect of different organic sources on growth, yield, yield attributes and economics of summer groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) under organic farming

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during summer-2017 at Agronomy Instructional Farm, Chimanbhai Patel College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar to study the effect of different organic sources on growth, yield, yield attributes and economics of summer groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) under organic farming. The soil of experimental field was loamy sand in texture, low in organic carbon (0.30 %) and available nitrogen (142.5 kg/ha), medium in available phosphorus (43.41 kg/ha) and available potash (253.02 kg/ha) with soil pH of 7.7. Different twelve treatments comprising of application of nutrients through different organic sources viz., FYM, castor cake, NPK consortium, Rhizobium and PSB. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design and replicated three times. Groundnut variety TG 37 was used as test crop. The application of 1.0 t/ha castor cake + Rhizobium + PSB recorded significantly higher plant height at 30 DAS (7.56 cm), 60 DAS (21.47 cm) and at harvest (48.02 cm), number of branches per plant 60 DAS (9.00) and at harvest (10.40), number of effective pegs per plant at harvest (19.66), more numbers of pods per plant at harvest (13.00), pod yield per plant (8.90 g), higher pod yield (2861 kg/ha) and haulm yield (4876 kg/ha) over rest of the treatments. The maximum net realization (Rs. 1,14,348/ha) was obtained with treatment 1.0 t/ha castor cake + Rhizobium + PSB, while maximum benefit : cost ratio (3.57) was recorded with the treatment of 5.0 t/ha FYM +Rhizobium + PSB as compare to other treatments.