Growth, productivity and profitability of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) varieties under seed endophytic bacterial inoculation

In the rabi season of 2023–2024, a field experiment was carried out at the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Palem, to examine the Response of seed endophytic bacterial inoculation on various genotypes of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) under deficit irrigation conditions. The 15 treatment combinations in the experiment consisted of 3 main treatments and 5 sub-treatments arranged in a split plot configuration with three replications. The main treatments comprised three varieties: V1: K-6, V2: TAG-24, and V3: Visishta. The sub-treatment comprised five different irrigation schedules: I1, which is 10 days of irrigation interval; I2, which is 10 days of irrigation interval with seed treated by a consortium of endophytic bacteria; V3, which is 15 days of irrigation interval; and V4, which is 15 days of irrigation interval with seed treated by a consortium of endophytic bacteria. The investigation's findings revealed that the variety Visishta had a noticeably greater pod yield (2805 kg ha-1), kernel yield (1729 kg ha-1) and haulm yield (5348 kg ha-1) over TAG-24 and was on par with K-6. Among irrigation schedules, irrigation at 10 days interval with seed treatment with consortium of endophytic bacteria was recorded significantly higher pod yield (2785 kg ha-1), kernel yield (1741 kg ha-1) and haulm yield (5323 kg ha-1) which was on par with irrigation at 10 days interval.