Productivity and Econometric Analysis of Leguminous Monkey-nut (Arachis hypogaea L.) as Influenced by Growth Retardant Ravi S.1, Rangasami S.R. Shri2,*, Vadivel N.2, Kumar T. Pradeesh3, Harishankar K.4, Shankar S. Vishnu5, Vigneshwaran R.6 1Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Puducherry-605 009, Tamil Nadu, India 2Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641 003, Tamil Nadu, India 3Department of Agronomy, VIT School of Agricultural Innovations and Advanced Learning, Vellore-632 014, Tamil Nadu, India 4Department of Social Science, Vanavarayar Institute of Agriculture, Pollachi-642 103, Tamil Nadu, India 5Department of Basic Sciences, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni-173 230, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India 6Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Adhiparasakthi Agricultural College, Kalavai, Ranipet-632 506, Tamil Nadu, India *Corresponding Author: S.R. Shri Rangasami, Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641 003, Tamil Nadu, India, Email: shrirangasamisr@tnau.ac.in
Online Published on 09 February, 2024. Abstract Background Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) holds significant importance as a staple food legume and a key economic crop, serving as a valuable source of edible oil and protein in India. However, its full yield potential is often hampered by excessive vegetative growth, which leads to suboptimal yields. With this background, a field experiment was conducted at the Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Puducherry during 2020 and 2021. The objective was to investigate the influence of different concentrations and timing of paclobutrazol (PBZ) application on the growth and yield of groundnut. Methods The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications, six main plot treatments (Including PBZ concentrations of 25, 50, 100, 150, 200 ppm and a control) and three sub-plot treatments (Involving single sprays at 30 days after emergence (DAE), single sprays at 50 DAE and double sprays at 30 and 50 DAE). Result The results revealed that the application of paclobutrazol at different concentrations had a positive effect on reducing plant height during the later stages of growth, particularly when a double spray was applied at 30 and 50 DAE. Notably, the application of paclobutrazol at a concentration of 200 ppm in groundnut cultivation proved to be economically viable, resulting 29% increase in pod yield compared to the control group. Specifically, PBZ at 200 ppm, with a double spray, significantly boosted the total pod yield to 2724 kg ha-1. Furthermore, the correlation and regression analyses indicated a positive relationship between growth and yield. Top Keywords Economics, Groundnut, Growth parameters, Paclobutrazol, Yield components. Top |