Download - Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Lesson 1: Importance of Groundnut Course on Insect Pests of Groundnut Module I: About Groundnut After successful

Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics

Lesson 1: Importance of Groundnut

Course on Insect Pests of Groundnut

Module I: About Groundnut

After successful completion of this Lesson, you have learned to:

• Describe the importance of groundnut.

• Locate groundnut cultivating regions in the world and in India.

• Explain reasons for low groundnut yields in India.

• Examine the impact of insect pests in groundnut crop.









• Groundnut is a cash crop and useful rotation crop.

• It is easy to grow and withstands drought to some extent. So, a choice crop for dry farming.

• It is soil erosion resistant crop.

• Being a legume crop it can fix atmospheric nitrogen. Thus maintains soil fertility.





• All parts of this plant can be commercially used.

• The plant stalks are fed to cattle in the form of green, dried and silage.

• Groundnut shell, haulms and hay are good fodder.

• Groundnut cake is a good feed for livestock and it is also used as manure.





The groundnut is particularly valued for its protein content (26%).

On equal weight basis (Kg for Kg), groundnuts contain more protein than meat and about two and a half times more than eggs.

In addition to protein, groundnuts are a good source of calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and boron.





In addition to protein, groundnuts are a good source of calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and boron.

The groundnuts also contains vitamin E and small amounts of vitamin B complex.

High in calories, 5.6 calories nut -1 (calorific value of 567).

Being an oil seed crop, it contains 40 to 49% oil.





Groundnut is cultivated onabout 26.5 million ha in the world, with an averageannual production of 35.7 million Mt in the Year 2003(FAO, 2003).

The average yield world over is 1348 kg/ha.

Groundnut center of origin (solid line), area of intensive cultivation (dotted line) and areas of maximum Cultivation (colored).

Source: Weiss 2000 Zoom the Map





Asia and Africa accounts for 97% of the area and 92% of groundnut production.

But, the average yield in Asia (1600 kg ha-1) and Africa (856 kg ha-1) are low as the crop is mostly cultivated as rainfed crop.

World Groundnut Area in 2003

Asia57%

Africa40%

N & C America

2%

South America

1%

World Groundnut Productionin 2003

Asia67%

Africa25%

N & C America

6%

South America

2%

Zoom the Pies





In India, 70% of the groundnut area and 75% of the production are concentrated in the four states of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Most of the irrigated area under Groundnut is in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Source: http://agricoop.nic.in/statistics2003/chap4b.htm

State Area % of Total Production % of Total Yield % Irri. Area(Million ha) Area (Million tonnes) Production (kg/ha)

Gujarat 1.92 30.00 2.71 37.59 1412 9.60Tamil Nadu 0.77 12.08 1.33 18.48 1724 35.00

Andhra Pradesh 1.69 26.42 1.25 17.32 739 17.30Karnataka 0.86 13.36 0.60 8.32 702 20.20

Maharashtra 0.43 6.70 0.49 6.82 1147 26.70





Groundnut growing area and mean yield in India 1996-1995 (ICRISAT). Source: http://ugamp.nerc.ac.uk/hot/ajc/ajc.htm





Reasons for low groundnut yields in India

• Low plant population because of

• high cost of seed,

• small and marginal farmers cannot afford the seed costs,

• small farmers do not want to invest on seeds as the crop is exposed to vagaries of rainfall leading to uncertain yields.






• Low plant population because of

• most of the farmers use local seed which may be of poor quality,

• being a rainfed crop lack of optimum soil moisture at the time of sowing affects germination,

• non-adoption of seed treatment against seed- borne diseases may lead to decay and death of seed/seedling.






• Cultivated in marginal and poor soils of low fertility status,

• Farmers rarely apply fertilizers fearing crop loss due to failure of rains,

• Multi nutrient deficiencies also contribute towards the decline in yields in many groundnut growing areas.






• Use of complex fertilizers lead to deficiencies of Calcium and Sulfur affecting the yields,

• No irrigation facilities to protect the crop from soil moisture deficit during breaks in rainfall during monsoon season,

• Neglected weed, insect pests and disease control.





Scenario of insect pests in groundnut crop

Groundnut plants have considerable natural resistance to insects though the degree of resistance vary with the different varieties.

This resistance is due to the production of anti-insect chemicals in the leaves and pods.

Presence of long and/or dense hairs on the leaves also help to prevent insect attacks.

The crop also has the ability to recover from the loss of 50% of the leaves with less reduction in yield after flowering phase.






General feeders such as tobacco caterpillar (armyworm), white grubs, termites, and other defoliators attack a wide range of crops including groundnut.

Virus transmitting insects such as aphids, jassids, thrips etc. cause losses in yield indirectly by spreading the virus diseases.

Soil insects also can damage at low populations, and in addition are difficult to detect before the damage occurs.






Most groundnut insect pests are sporadic in occurrence and distribution.

In general, insects cause 10-20% crop loss.

However, there were instances of total crop loss caused by a single insect species such as red hairy caterpillar and white grubs.

Although, many insects live and feed on the crop, only a few cause significant reduction in yields.

With this, the Lesson 1 on Importance of Groundnut concludes.

Next, Lesson 2 provides brief information about growth of groundnut plant.

Select Lesson 2 in Module I from Course contents




Groundnut center of origin (solid line), area of intensive cultivation (dotted line) and areas of maximum Cultivation (colored).

Source: Weiss 2000

World Groundnut Area in 2003

Asia57%

Africa40%

N & C America

2%

South America

1%

World Groundnut Productionin 2003

Asia67%

Africa25%

N & C America

6%

South America

2%

Download - Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Lesson 1: Importance of Groundnut Course on Insect Pests of Groundnut Module I: About Groundnut After successful

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