After completing this lesson, you have learned to:

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Module I About Groundnut
Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics
Lesson 1 Importance of Groundnut

• After completing this lesson, you have
  learned to
• Describe the importance of groundnut.
• Locate groundnut cultivating regions in the world
  and in India.
• Explain for low groundnut yields in India.
• Examine the impact of diseases in groundnut crop.

Course on Diseases of Groundnut
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• Groundnut is a cash crop and useful rotation
  crop.
• It is easy to grow and withstands drought to some
  extent. So, a choice crop for dry farming.
• It is soil erosion resistant crop.
• Being a legume crop it can fix atmospheric
  nitrogen. Thus maintains soil fertility.

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• All parts of this plant can be commercially used.
• The plant stalks are fed to cattle in the form of
  green, dried and silage.
• Groundnut shell, haulms and hay are good fodder.
• Groundnut cake is a good feed for livestock and
  it is also used as manure.

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The groundnut is particularly valued for
its protein content (26). On equal weight
basis (Kg for Kg), groundnuts contain more
protein than meat and about two and a half times
more than eggs. In addition to protein,
groundnuts are a good source of calcium,
phosphorus, iron, zinc and boron.
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The groundnuts also contains vitamin E and
small amounts of vitamin B complex. High in
calories, 5.6 calories nut -1 (calorific value of
567). Being an oil seed crop, it contains 40
to 49 oil.
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Groundnut is cultivated on about 26.5 million ha
in the world, with an average Annual production
of 35.7 million Mt in the Year 2003 (FAO,
2003). The average yield world over is 1348
kg/ha.
Groundnut center of origin (solid line), area
of intensive cultivation (dotted line) and areas
of maximum Cultivation (colored). Source
Weiss 2000
Zoom the Map
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Asia and Africa accounts for 97 of the area
and 92 of groundnut production. But, the
average yield in Asia (1600 kg ha-1) and Africa
(856 kg ha-1) are low as the crop is mostly
cultivated as rainfed crop.
Zoom the Pies
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In India, 70 of the groundnut area and 75 of
the production are concentrated in the four
states of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and
Karnataka. Most of the irrigated area under
groundnut is in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Source
http//agricoop.nic.in/statistics2003/chap4b.htm
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Groundnut growing area and mean yield in India
1996-1995 (ICRISAT). Source http//ugamp.nerc.ac
.uk/hot/ajc/ajc.htm
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• Reasons for low groundnut yields in India
• Low plant population because of
• high cost of seed,
• small and marginal farmers cannot afford the seed
  costs,
• small farmers do not want to invest on seeds as
  the crop is exposed to vagaries of rainfall
  leading to uncertain yields,

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• Reasons for low groundnut yields in India
• Low plant population because of
• most of the farmers use local seed which may be
  of poor quality,
• being a rainfed crop lack of optimum soil
  moisture at the time of sowing affects
  germination,
• non-adoption of seed treatment against seed-
  borne diseases may lead to decay and death of
  seed/seedling.

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• Reasons for low groundnut yields in India
• Cultivated in marginal and poor soils of low
  fertility status,
• Farmers rarely apply fertilizers fearing crop
  loss due to failure of rains,
• Multi nutrient deficiencies also contribute
  towards the decline in yields in many groundnut
  growing areas,

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• Reasons for low groundnut yields in India
• Use of complex fertilizers lead to deficiencies
  of Calcium and Sulfur affecting the yields,
• No irrigation facilities to protect the crop from
  soil moisture deficit during breaks in rainfall
  during monsoon season,
• Neglected weed, insect pests and disease control.

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Scenario of diseases in groundnut crop Diseases
are major constraints to groundnut production
through out the world. In general diseases
cause 40 to 60 yield loss. The major yield
loss come from fatal diseases like bud
necrosis. Although, many diseases infect the
crop, only a few cause significant reduction in
yields.
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Scenario of diseases in groundnut crop A large
number of diseases in groundnut crop are caused
by fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes. With
exceptions they are widely distributed. All
parts of groundnut plants are attacked by these
disease causing organisms.
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Scenario of diseases in groundnut crop Diseases
leading to aflatoxin contamination of pods and
kernels are very injurious to the health of
livestock and human beings. Aflatoxins have
become the subject of concern in agriculture, as
well as in animal and human health on a global
scale.
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Module I About Groundnut
Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics

With this, the Lesson 1 on Importance of
Groundnut concludes. Next, Lesson 2 provides
brief information about growth of groundnut
plant. Select Lesson 2 in Module I contents.
Course on Diseases of Groundnut
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Groundnut center of origin (solid line), area
of intensive cultivation (dotted line) and areas
of maximum Cultivation (colored). Source
Weiss 2000
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