Performance of winter groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) with polythene mulch under rainfed condition of Manipur valley

A field experiment was conducted during the winter season 1997–98 and 1998–99 at Manipur centre, Lamphelpat Farm, Imphal, to study performance of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) as rainfed crop under polythene mulch in broad-bed-furrow (BBF) and flat bed system of sowing. Higher production potential of ‘JL 24’ groundnut (1,602 kg and 2,180.7 kg pod yield/ha) was recorded with polymulch over unmulched condition (875 kg and 1,063 kg pod yield/ha). The vegetative and reproductive phases also differed under mulched and unmulched conditions. Germination was recorded 10–12 days earlier while maturity delayed by 15–20 days under polythene mulch. Number of branches/plant, dry-matter accumulation/plant, pod weight and 100-kemel weight were found significantly higher under polymulched condition than unmulched condition.