Tamil Nadu
Groundnut constitutes 81% of the area and 91% of the production of total area under oilseeds in this state. It is grown in an area of 413,000 ha with production of 896,000 MT. The productivity of 2169 kg per ha is good even though it is predominantly grown as rainfed crop (62%) in the state. The groundnut area in the state was highest during 1992-93 with 1.188 million ha and it gradually declined to about 500,000 to 600,000 ha during the last 10 years. The reason for the decline in area is mainly due to the switch over to other more profitable crops like maize. The import of much cheaper oil like palm oil and the consequent price fluctuation is also another important reason for the decline in area. However, there is a potential to increase the area to 900,000 ha.
Popular varieties cultivated in Tamil Nadu
The varieties cultivated before the inception of project TL II include TMV 7, an old variety released in 1967 and preferred among the farmers for its taste. The other varieties include, VRI 2 and VRI 3, both are two decade old varieties, Co Gn 4 is released in 2001, and TMV Gn 13 released in 2006. Although TMV Gn 13 is the most recent release it is poor yielder.
Strategies for improving groundnut production and productivity in Tamil Nadu 1. Quality seeds of improved varieties to be made available in time;
2. Promoting mechanised cultivation due to acute labour scarcity, for which suitable machinery needs to be introduced for cultivation and harvesting;
3. Adoption of integrated nutrient management practices, optimum use of NPK and micronutrients needs to be addressed; and
4. Adoption of integrated pest management practices.
Karnataka
The groundnut area in Karnataka has declined significantly from 1.18 million ha in 1998 to around 0.8 m ha in 2008. The productivity in the state is very low at 652 kg per ha compared to the national average of about 1459 kg ha per hain 2008. It is interesting to note that the productivity levels in the state hover around 600-700 kg per ha since the 1970’s, which is cause of serious concern in this state warranting immediate interventions to increase the productivity of the crop to arrest further decline in groundnut area. In this state, about 42% of groundnut area is rainfed and contributes to 21% of production.
Popular varieties cultivated in Karnataka
Before the project initiation, the predominant variety was TMV-2; an obsolete variety released in 1940 and occupied 85% of groundnut area in the state. The productivity of TMV 2 was very low and hence farmers were not happy to grow groundnut as it is less remunerative and also there was no systematic supply of groundnut seed. In addition to TMV 2, the other varieties under cultivation included another old variety, JL 24 (released in 1985) and GPBD 4 (released in 2002), but are confined to a very limited area.
Strategies for improving groundnut production and productivity in Karnataka
1. Introduction of new varieties in the farmers’ fields with concomitant large-scale replacement of the old variety, TMV-2;
2. Intensive training of farmers regarding improved cultivation aspects of groundnut; and
3. Adoption of integrated crop management to increase productivity, as the soils are poor with respect to their nutrient status.
Achievements
Participatory varietal selection
Farmer-preferred varieties of groundnut were identified through farmers’ participatory varietal (PVS) trials. In PVS, the farmers in target districts of the two states were given a basket of 8 – 10 chosen improved varieties along with the check and they were allowed to select based on their performance and preferences. The varieties thus identified are given for paired comparisons along with locally preferred check to demonstrate the improvements gained through use of the farmer-preferred variety over local variety. Field days were conducted at the site of paired comparisons to create awareness among the farmers in the partner and nearby villages about the improved varieties selected through PVS. This resulted in adoption and fast spread of the new farmer-preferred varieties of groundnut in and around partner villages. Subsequently, the varieties were entered in state/national level multi-location testing for formal release.
Tamil Nadu
PVS trials were conducted in Namakkal, Erode and Thiruvannamalai districts of Tamil Nadu, where nine villages in each district were selected. Keeping in view the local requirements, seven Virginia bunch types were chosen for Namakkal district and eight Spanish bunch types for Erode and Thiruvannamalai districts. A total of 296 PVS trails were conducted in 2008 and together in 2009 and 2010 a total of 742 paired comparisons of identified variety along with local check were conducted in 38 villages across three districts. In Namakkal ICGV 87846 emerged as a preferred variety and recorded a 36-87%
pod yield increase over the local check (Table 2-1). ICGV 00351 and TVG 004 were farmer-preferred varieties in Erode and Thiruvannamalai (Tables 2-2 and 2-3).
Table 2-1: Performance of ICGV 87846 in on-farm trails in Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu
Season Name of the trials No. of trials
Pod yield (kg per ha)
ICGV 87846 Local % Increase
over local
2008 rainy PVS trials 90 1630 869 87.6
2009 rainy Paired comparisons 237 1019 646 57.7
2010 rainy Paired comparisons 198 1985 1457 36.2
Total / Mean 525 1536 991 54.9
Table 2-2: Performance of ICGV 00351 in on-farm trials in Erode district, Tamil Nadu
Season Name of the trials No. of trials Pod yield (kg per ha) % Increase over TMV Gn 13 ICGV 00351 TMV Gn13
2009 rainy PVS trials 107 1185 868 36.5
2010 rainy Paired comparisons 103 2227 1717 29.7
Total / Mean 210 1706 1293 31.9
Table 2-3: Performance of ICGV 00351 and TVG 004 in on-farm trials in Thiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, India
2008 rainy PVS trials 99 1429 1270 996 43.5 27.5
2009 rainy PVS trials 81 1580 1417 1293 22.2 9.6
2010 rainy comparisons 90 1890 2235 1888 - 18.4
Total / Mean 270 1633 1641 1392 17.3 17.9
Karnataka
PVS trials were conducted in Chitradurga, Tumkur, Chikballpur, Bagalkot and Raipur districts of Karnataka. In the districts of Chitradurga, Tumkur, Chikballpur, 10 varieties were chosen and 117 mother and baby trials were conducted in 2008 in eight villages (Table 2-4). Of these, five varieties were advanced for the following season PVS to conduct 144 trials in 12 villages (Table 2-5). ICGV 91114 was identified as the farmer-preferred variety and paired comparisons were conducted in 33 villages in 2010 (Table 2-6).
Table 2-4: Performance of varieties in PVS trials conducted in Chitradurga, Tumkur, Chikballpur districts of Karnataka in 2008 rainy season.
Varieties Average pod yield (kg per ha)
Gulya GulyaGollarahatti Yalagondanahalli Kaparahalli HuliKunte Jadekunte Nerlahalli Hirehalli Konasagar Average
Chintamani-1 1186 1088 1078 902 706 882 1186 1098 220 946
Chintamani-2 2097 1774 1823 1431 1333 1431 1735 1548 310 1527
R-2001-2 1950 1638 1989 1441 1313 1480 2174 1470 294 1532
R-2001-3 1715 1646 1715 1333 1382 1313 1754 1274 255 1409
GPBD-4 1088 1294 1186 931 921 892 1156 1009 205 987
K-6 1029 1107 951 941 960 1196 1186 1019 202 984
ICGV-00350 1480 1303 1264 951 843 1156 1264 1226 250 1109
ICGV-04096 1989 2078 1901 1362 1088 1392 1744 1519 304 1522
ICGV-91114 1196 1392 1323 1107 872 1098 1362 960 192 1073
TMV(Gn)-13 1137 1166 1196 882 804 911 1019 1039 208 945
TMV-2 1284 1039 1382 1039 941 1196 1401 1000 200 1076
SEM + 0.68 CD at 5% 1.142
CV % 12.6
Table 2-5: Performance of varieties in PVS trials conducted during 2009 rainy season in Chitradurga, Tumkur, and Chikballpur districts of Karnataka (two mother trials and 10 Baby trials were conducted conducted at each village, total 144 trials).
Varieties Average pod yield (kg per ha) Oil
content average (%)
Marur Jangamarahalli Hosahalli Hareyabbi G.Gollarahatti Gulya Hire halli Chikkahalli Rudrammanahalli KondlaHalli Nerlahalli Marammanahalli Average
Chintamani-2 1593 1650 1421 1568 1593 1535 1600 1658 1650 1633 1544 1674 1593 53.7 R-2001-2 1699 1691 1503 1666 1698 1405 1633 1764 1682 1600 1650 1789 1648 49.7 ICGV – 00350 1356 1184 1282 1282 1209 1300 1323 1453 1307 1430 1200 1560 1324 53.9 ICGV – 04096 1747 1664 1764 1690 1756 1886 1796 1895 1764 1870 1634 2017 1790 54.4 ICGV- 91114 1397 1502 1363 1372 1552 1487 1511 1642 1470 1502 1445 1641 1490 48.2 TMV-2 1103 1119 988 1118 1242 1102 1274 1323 1200 1201 1176 1315 1180 51.3
SEM +1.13 CD 2.62 CV 17.90
In eight villages of Bagalkot district, 34 mother and baby trials were conducted in 2008 with a set of eight chosen varieties (Table 2-7). In 2009, a set of 20 mother and baby trials were conducted in six villages from the identified five varieties (Table 2-8). In 2010, a total of 192 paired comparisons with the identified variety ICGV 00350 and locally preferred variety TMV 2 were conducted (Table 2-9).
In Raichur district, 54 mother and baby trials were conducted with nine chosen varieties in 2008, from which six were selected for the next season testing and in 2009 (Table 2-10). Based on these two entries, ICGV 00350 and R-2001-2 were identified for paired comparisons in 2010. A total of 255 paired comparisons were conducted in 17 villages (Table 2-11).
Multi-location testing: Nine varieties were identified through PVS from the two states. These varieties were multiplied and entered into multi-location testing at state and national levels. This testing is a prerequisite for official release of the varieties. They are now in different states of release and pre-release at state and national levels as indicated in Table 2-12.
Awareness about varieties: In both the states where the project is implemented, over 5,000 farmers were made aware of improved varieties by directly reaching them either through PVS and comparison trials (1,857 farmers) or through farmers’ visits to these trial plots on field days. A total of 87 field days on farmers’ fields were conducted in which 5,456 farmers have participated.
In Tamil Nadu, over 6,000 farmers were made aware of improved groundnut varieties. One thousand thirty eight farmers were made aware as participant of PVS and paired comparisons and another 871 farmers were made aware of improved varieties through 18 field days conducted in farmers’ fields. In addition, 5,531 farmers were reached through state and regional farmers’ fairs (Table 2-13).
In five districts of Karnataka over 5,000 farmers were directly reached and made aware of improved varieties; 819 farmers were reached through participation in the PVS and paired comparisons and another 4,585 farmers from the nearby villages visited the farmers plots where improved varieties were cultivated during 69 field days conducted over three years.
Table 2-6: Performance of ICGV 91114 in large-scale yield testing trials conducted during 2010 rainy season in Chitradurga, Tumkur, and Chikballpur districts of Karnataka
No. Village name Yield (kg per ha)
( average yield of 10 trails/village) % yield increase over check
ICGV-91114 TMV-2 (check)
1 Gulya 850 680 20
2 GulyaGollarahtati 820 656 19
3 Hariyabbe 910 728 21
4 T-Gollahalli 950 760 22
5 Hariyabbepalya 830 664 19
6 V.K.Gudda 820 656 19
7 Hirehalli 780 624 18
8 Chikkahalli 760 608 18
9 Rudrammanahalli 900 720 21
10 Siddapura 880 704 21
11 Laxmipura 720 562 19
12 Hottappanahalli 810 632 21
13 Kondlahalli 770 601 20
14 Nerlahalli 830 647 21
15 Marammanahalli 800 624 21
16 Mogalahalli 720 562 19
17 Konasagara 750 585 19
18 B.G.Kere 770 601 20
19 Maruru 830 647 21
20 Hosahalli 850 663 22.
21 Jangamarahalli 900 684 25
22 Arasikere 880 669 25
23 Mangalawada 720 547 20
24 Budusanahalli 960 730 27
25 Dwaranakunte 830 631 23
26 Nejanti 750 570 21
27 Vajarahalli 780 593 22
28 Chinnahalli 940 714 26
29 Battalahalli 910 692 25
30 Karigatammanahalli 860 654 24
31 Mittemari 700 532 20
32 Kanagamakalapalli 760 578 21
33 Burugamadugu 810 616 23
Mean 823 640 21
Table 2-7: Performance of varieties in PVS trials conducted during 2008 rainy season in Bagalkot district of
Table 2-8: Performance of varieties in PVS trials conducted during 2009 rainy season in Bagalkot district of Karnataka
Variety Mean pod yield (kg per ha)
Badami
(2 village 10 farmers) Bagalkot
(2 villages 6 farmers) Bilagi
(3 villages 4 farmers) Mean (7 villages 20 farmers)
Table 2-9: Performance of ICGV 00350 during 2010 rainy season in Bagalkot district of Karnataka
Taluk No. of trials ICGV 00350 TMV 2 Calculated t % increase
Badami 76 1482 ± 76 1028 ± 67 39.10** 44.20
Bagalkot 102 1482 ± 80 1039 ± 69 42.29** 42.60
Bilagi 14 1478 ± 80 1057 ± 76 14.31** 39.80
Total 192 1482 ± 78 1036 ± 69 59.37** 43.00
Table 2-10: Performance of baby trial varieties in PVS trials conducted during the 2010 rainy season in Raichur district of Karnataka
7 Local check 959 890 964 937
CV (%) 6.2
CD at 5% 116.0
Table 2-11: Results of 255 paired comparisons comprising best performed farmer-preferred varieties conducted during 2010 rainy season in Raichur district, Karnataka
Variety Yield (kg per ha) Mean Remarks
Raichur Deodurga Lingasugur
ICGV-00350 890 856 888 878 The yield levels were low due to
excess rainfall during vegetative and pod development stage
TMV-2 (Local check) 451 446 449 449
R-2001-2 830 836 865 844
TMV-2 (Local check) 438 498 458 465
Table 2-12: Multi-location testing of groundnut varieties in Tamil Nadu
State/variety Characteristics Remarks
ICGV 87846 Virginia bunch type; maturing in 125-130 days. Released as Co6 in 2010 ICGV 00351 Spanish bunch type, drought tolerant Pre-release
ICGV 91114 Spanish bunch short duration 95-100 days); for rainy
and post rainy Released for Southern Karnataka
Chintamani 2 Spanish bunch; 110 days; resistance to foliar diseases Released for Southern Karnataka in 2009-10 ICGV-04096 Spanish bunch; 110-115 days duration; foliar disease
resistance Pre-release (now under national evaluation trial)
ICGV 00350 Spanish bunch; Drought tolerant Pre-release
R-2001-2 High yielding; drought tolerant Released, and notified in 2010
R 2001-3 Spanish bunch Released in 2008 for Zones III & IV at national level
Dh 4-3 Spanish bunch Released in 2008 for the North Eastern Zone for
rabi /summer
Table 2-13: Participants in the awareness programs conducted in Tamil Nadu during 2008-10.
State Awareness programs Number of
conducted No of participants
Men Women Total
Tamil Nadu Field days 18 608 263 871
State level farmers day 2 2063 741 2804
Regional agricultural fair 1 2089 638 2727
Total 21 4760 1642 6402
Table 2-14: Groundnut seed of various classes produced in Tamil Nadu during 2008-10.
TMV Gn 13 13.81 37.50 11.82 63.13
VRI 2 304.53 255.63 658.82 1218.98
CoGn 4 16.24 18.75 5.24 40.23
Total 334.58 311.88 675.88 1322.34
Table 2-15: Truthfully-labeled seed produced (MT) through informal seed systems in Tamilnadu during 2008-10.
Varieties 2008 2009 2010 Total
Post rainy Rainy Post rainy Rainy Post rainy Rainy
VRI Gn 6 0.38 0.94 0.60 1.20 0.80 1.40 5.32
VRI Gn 7 - 0.60 0.40 0.80 0.70 1.50 4.00
TMV Gn 13 0.50 1.30 1.70 1.90 1.30 2.80 9.50
CoGn 6 - - 0.80 1.50 1.40 11.70 15.40
ICGV 00351 - - - 0.30 0.80 1.40 2.50
TVG 004 0.10 0.30 0.20 0.40 0.30 0.50 1.80
Total 0.98 3.14 3.7 6.1 5.3 19.3 38.52
Breeder Seed multiplication
In Tamil Nadu, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University produced the Nucleus and Breeder seeds of groundnut, while Department of Agriculture produced the Foundation and Certified Seeds. During the three years, 19.07 MT of Nucleus Seed, 97.60 MT of Breeder Seed, 142.29 MT of Foundation Seed and 1,322.34 MT of Certified Seed were produced and distributed (Table 2-14). About 38.5 MT of seed was produced and distributed through informal seed sector (Table 2-15).
In Karnataka, during the project period a total of 42.42 MT of Breeder Seed; 2,297.52 MT of Foundation Seed, and 19869.58 MT of Certified Seed, totaling 22,209.22 MT was produced by formal sector (UAS, Bangalore; UAS, Dharwad, SFCI and Akruthi Associates of India). The nucleus and breeder seed produced by UAS, Dharwad and UAS, Raichur are given in (Tables 2-16 and 2-17). During the same period, 46.52 MT of Certified and Truthfully-labeled seed was produced by informal sector.
Table 2-16: Groundnut seed of various classes produced by Dharwad Center, Karnataka during 2008-10.
2007-08 Post-rainy GPBD4 0.95 20.00 - 280.00
2008 Rainy GPBD4 4.80 50.00
2009-10 Post-Rainy GPBD4 10.00 80.00 120.00 1000.00** 10.00*
2010 Rainy GPBD4 0.80 10.00 50.00 1000.00
-Total 34.25 420.0 330.0 3010.0 210.0
*=UAS; **=KOF
Table 2-17: Groundnut seed of various classes produced (MT) by Raichur Center, Karnataka in 2009 and 2010.
Year / Season Class of seed Variety Location Area sown (ha) Seed quantity produced 2009 rainy
season Basic Seed R-2001-2 Raichur 0.20 100 kg
Rainy 2010 Nucleus R-2001-2 Raichur 1.00 200 kg
Rainy 2010 Breeder R-2001-2 Raichur 4.00 1200 kg
Rainy 2010 Nucleus ICGV-00350 Raichur 0.50 150 kg
Post Rainy
2010-11 Nucleus R-2001-2 Raichur 2.00 1200 kg
Post Rainy
2010-11 Nucleus ICGV-00350 Raichur 0.70 500 kg
Post Rainy
2010-11 Breeder R-2001-2 Raichur and
Kavadimattti 8.00 6000 kg