Yield, nutrient uptake and quality of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) kernels as affected by organic sources of nutrient

A field experiment was conducted during pre-kharif seasons of 2008–09 to study the effect of organics on yield and quality of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) under terai region of West Bengal. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with 12 treatments and replicated thrice. Results revealed that poultry manure 2.5 t/ha + neem cake 2.5 t/ha + vermicompost 2.5 t/ha + phosphocompost 2.5 t/ha gave 2.08 tonne pod yield/ha, which was 9.47% higher over recommended dose of chemical fertilizer. Combined application of vermicompost 2.5 t/ha + phosphocompost 2.5 t/ha + poultry manure 2.5 t/ha + neem cake 2.5 t/ha brought about significant improvement in N, P and K uptake by groundnut. Application of organic manures resulted in the improvement of soil organic carbon, available soil N, P and K compared to either recommended dose of fertilizers or control. Among the organic treatments, phosphocompost 5 t/ha recorded highest values of oil (46.7%), crude protein (22.4%), soluble protein (10.5%), total sugar (13.1%), starch (14.8%), calcium (143.92 mg/100g) and phosphorus (836.6 mg/100g) during both the years.