Influence of weather parameters on pod yield of groundnut in middle Gujarat agro-climatic region

Abstract

Field experiments were carried out during 1997 to 2007 at B. A. College of Agriculture, Anand with two dates of sowing (D1 : Onset of south-west monsoon and D2 : 15 days after onset of south-west monsoon), two cultivars (Robut 33-1 and GG-2) and two irrigation regimes (I1 : Rainfed and I2 : Irrigation at 50% ASM) for assessing the impact of weather parameters on pod yield of kharif groundnut. Results revealed that groundnut crop sown at the onset of monsoon performed better than late sown crop sown 15 days after onset of monsoon rain and on an average, the early sowing gave 21.4% higher pod yield. Robut 33-1 produced more pod yield than the local variety GG-2 in most of the years and on an average, Robut 33-1 yielded 21.6% higher pod yield. During the years of dry spells, irrigations applied at 50% ASM (I2) recorded greater pod yield than the crop grown under rainfed condition (I1). In case of crop sown at onset of monsoon, mean temperature during pod development phase showed significant positive correlation with pod yield, whereas in second sowing crop, minimum temperature at 50% pod development phase and sunshine hours at pod development phase also had significant positive correlation with pod yield. Regression models developed were able to account for 38% variation in pod yield in crop sown at onset of monsoon (D1) and 85 to 92% variation in crop sown 15 days afteronset of monsoon (D2).