Effect of paper mill effluent irrigation and compost application on soil nutrients and yield of groundnut

The investigation was carried out to investigate the impact of paper mill effluent irrigation and compost application on yield of groundnut and soil fertility during kharif 2023 with well water and treated paper mill effluent at varying concentrations, at 0% (well water), 25%, 50%, 75% and100% enriched by organic manures (main plot 12.5 t/ha of farm yard manure and 5 t/haof press mud compost) in groundnut cv VRI 10. The results indicated that among chemical properties, soil pH ranged from 7.40 to 7.97, with variations during different growth stages of the groundnut. The soluble salts in the experimental soil ranged from 0.28 to 0.43 dSm^-1 during the entire crop duration. Available nutrients in soil generally showed higher concentrations with paper mill effluent irrigation and organic amendments, with values ranging from 184.3 to 198.3 kg/ha for nitrogen, 7.6 to 8.7 kg/ha for phosphorus, 186.0 to 205.5 kg/ha for potassium and 3.5 to 4.6 mg/kg for sulphur. Haulm yield ranged from 2016 to 3133 kg/ha and pod yield ranged from 1440 to 1934 kg/ha, indicated a 25.5% (494 kg/ha) increased yield at 75% paper mill effluent irrigation combined with press mud compost application over control (well water irrigation). The findings from this study indicated that the use of treated paper mill effluent, particularly when combined with organic manures, can be a sustainable approach for crop production.