EFFECT OF INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT ON GROWTH, YIELD, QUALITY OF GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS HYPOGAEA L.), NUTRIENT UPTAKE AND SOIL FERTILITY IN SEMIARID TRACT OF SOUTHERN TAMIL NADU OF INDIA

A field experiment was conducted to study the integrated nutrient management on growth and yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) during Rabiseason of (September to December) 2019 and 2020 at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Killikulam, Thoothukudidistrict, Tamil Nadu, India with the test crop of groundnut variety TMV (Gn) 13. The 10 treatments consisted of 2 levels of soil test crop response (STCR) recommended fertilizers (STCR i.e. 38:64:94 NPK kg ha(-1)(75 and 100%), 3 organic manures (Poultry manure @ 3 t ha(-1), Humic acid @ 20 kg ha(-1)and Rhizobium @ 3 kg ha(-1)) along with absolute control receiving no organic or fertilizers. The result revealed that application of 75% STCR+Rhizobium @ 3 kg ha(-1)+Humic acid @ 20 kg ha(-1)+Poultry manure @ 3 t ha(-1)(T-8) increased growth and yield attributes that led to significantly higher productivity (2964 and 8975 kg ha(-1 )of mean pod and haulm yield) and nutrient uptake of groundnut besides enriching soil available nutrients after harvest of groundnut. Due to the cheap cost of manuring, that treatment also recorded the highest mean net returns (Indian Rupee (INR) as (sic)(72,706 ha(-1)) and B:C ratio (2.47).