The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Fall in groundnut yield

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Monday, Mar 30, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Fall in groundnut yield

M. Balaganessin

It has depleted by one-third of normal harvest in Pudukottai

Severe loss: A groundnut grower of Pudukottai showing the poor yield.

PUDUKOTTAI: Groundnut growers of Alankudi block near Pudukottai have suffered a serious loss due to fall in yield of the crop raised during the ‘Karthigai pattam’ season. The yield has depleted by about one-third of their normal harvest of the produce this season in the block.

A farmer Kokilambal of Neduvasal village, who raised the VRI-2 variety in her fields, said that she could salvage only six bags of 50 kg each this season, against 10 bags last season. Although the produce appears normal, the nuts had got discoloured.

Agriculture Department officials say that many farmers had cultivated VRI-2 variety in Alankudi block which accounts for a cumulative annual area of 4,000 acres raised during different seasons, including 1,500 acres brought under groundnut during the ‘Karthigai patam’ of about three months’ duration.

Officials said that the factors, including any possible pest attack, leading to the damage of the nuts would be analysed shortly after visiting the fields. Sources, however, said that the groundnut at the seed farms in the block had not suffered any loss in yield.

Excess use of fertilizers

A progressive farmer of Pudukottai G.S. Dhanapathy says that the excess use of chemical fertilizers was one of the major impediments for the yield. Due to the excess presence of nitrogen drawn from the fertilizers, the plant appeared more lustrous with shining leaves, but the fertilisers brought down the phosphate content, making the crop prone for pest-attack and discolouring the nuts. The shift to bio-manure would reduce this adverse impact, he said.

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