EFFECT OF LEVEL AND SOURCE OF PHOSPHORUS AND BIO-REGULATORS ON GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS-HYPOGAEA)

A field experiment was conducted during rainy seasons of 1988 and 1989 at Agronomy Farm of Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur, to find out optimum level and source of phosphorus and to assess the effect of IAA, kinetin and their mixture on groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) production. The application of phosphorus significantly increased the number of pods/plant, pod weight/plant, number of kernels/pod and seed index. Application of phosphorus also reduced number of unfilled pods/plant. Mean increase in pod yield was 5.1 q/ha, representing 24.7% increase over no-phosphorus control (20.53 q/ha), and 20 kg P2O5/ha was found at par with 40 and 60 kg P2O5/ha. Further, single superphosphate was found superior to diammonium phosphate. The study also revealed that foliar spray of the mixture of IAA and kinetin brought about significant improvement in pod yield and proved more effective than either IAA or kinetin. When compared with water control (22.44 q/ha), mixed spray of IAA and kinetin increased pod yield by 19.8%.