Improved production practices for sustainable groundnut cultivation: An Indian perspective

Groundnut acreage, production, and nutritional value are vital to India's oilseed economy. Groundnuts are high in protein and energy, but India cultivates them under energy-starved conditions leading to lower production. Lack of quality seed at the right time, cultivation on marginal and sub-marginal lands, uneven fertilizer use, and lack of crop management techniques are the main causes of low groundnut productivity. To increase and sustain groundnut yield, low-cost production technology must be developed and promoted for farmers. Improved genotypes (Girnar 4 & 5, K-1812, DH 256), crop establishment and management practices, integrated soil fertility and pest management practices, etc. are the most promising groundnut production technologies. They boost productivity, profitability, environmental and social sustainability, and nutritional security. Agronomic techniques like seed replacement with improved varieties, raised bed planting, biofertilizers, secondary and micro-nutrients, foliar fertilizer application, drip/sprinkler irrigation, and integrated weed and pest management modules can boost groundnut productivity. Seed treatment with Tebuconazole 2DS @ 1.5 g/kg of seeds with furrow application of Trichoderma viride @ 4 kg enriched in 2.5 t FYM/ha practice found best to control stem rot, collar rot, and dry root rot diseases in groundnut. With the adoption of improved production practices groundnut yield would enhance by 23-42%. Thus, policymakers, agricultural scientists, and farmers to enhance groundnut productivity by utilizing improved farm technology to meet national and local groundnut needs. Thus, this article provides a critical analysis of improved crop management strategies' ability to increase groundnut yield and identifies future research goals to sustain groundnut output in India.