Effect of sowing dates and weed-control methods on yield attributes and yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea)

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy season (kharif) seasons of 1997 and 1998 at Agricultural Research Station, Durgapura, Jaipur, to assess impact of advance sowing on groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) productivity and to evolve efficient weed-control system involving cultural, herbicidal and cultural+herbicidal methods under each sowing time. Amongst yield components, sowing dates failed to bring about perceptible variation in pods setting index, kernel pod, shelling per cent and seed index, but number of pods and their weight/plant were significantly improved under advance planting on 1 June over the rest. The crop sown on 1 June recorded significantly higher productivity in terms of pod, kernel and haulm yield (30.81, 20.38 and 48.78 q/ha), representing increase of 21.58, 25.88 and 21.50% and 40.23, 49.85 and 48.20% over 16 June and 1 July sowing respectively. Among the weed-control methods, the adoption of cultural methods, i.e. 2 hoeings each at 21 and 45 days after sowing (DAS) as well as integrated method (pendimethalin + hoeing) significantly improved the yield components over rest of the methods and weedy check. Two hoeings and pendimethalin + hoeing recorded pod and kernel yield of 32.53, 32.14 and 21.62, 23.03 q/ha compared to 12.53 and 7.28 q/ha under unweeded conditions.