A Comprehensive Survey of Groundnut Gardens in Pollachi Taluk of Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

India is an abode of nine oilseeds viz., groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, soybean, sunflower, safflower, sesame, niger, castor and linseed. Groundnut is called the ‘King of Oilseeds’ and is an important oilseed crop of Tamil Nadu with multifarious uses. A survey was undertaken by Coconut Research Station, Aliyarnagar among fifty groundnut growers gardens to comprehend the management strategies being adopted and the constraints faced by them in the farm front. About 80 % of the farmers sow TMV and VRI varieties especially during chithirai pattam. About 90 % of the respondents do hand weeding on 20 and 45 DAS and eighty percent of the farmers apply farmyard manure for their farms.  About 60 % of the farmers apply either straight or complex fertilizers. All the respondents apply gypsum with varied doses and need based plant protection measures are being adopted by them. Yield from the surveyed gardens ranged from 1300 – 1500 kg ha-1. Groundnut cultivation is vitiated by peacock damage and wild boar menace besides labour scarcity.