Effect of mulching practices and foliar nutrition on groundnut (Arachis hypogaea l.) productivity under raised bed method of cultivation

A field experiment was conducted at ARS, Kawadimatti, UAS Raichur during kharif, 2022 to study the effect of mulching practices and foliar nutrition on groundnut under raised bed method of cultivation. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with three main plots consisting of different mulching practices i.e., no mulch, paddy straw mulch and plastic mulch and four sub plots i.e., foliar spray of water, FeSO4 @ 0.5%, ZnSO4 @ 0.5% and KCl @ 0.5% at 40 DAS each replicated thrice. Results revealed that the plastic mulch recorded the highest pod yield (2320 kg/ha), haulm yield (4164 kg/ha), harvest index (0.36), gross returns (` 1,44,057/ha), net returns (` 78,879/ha) and B:C (2.21). Foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.5 % recorded higher pod yield (2252 kg/ha), haulm yield (4124 kg/ha), gross returns (`1,40,005/ha), net returns (`75,675/ha). Among interaction effects plastic mulch combined with ZnSO4 spray recorded higher pod yield (2471 kg/ha), haulm yield (4354 kg/ha), harvest index (0.36), gross returns (` 1,53,281/ha), net returns (`86,368/ha) and B:C (2.29). Lower weed density and dry weight were recorded in plastic mulch practice. Thus, spraying of ZnSO4 @ 0.5 % at 40 DAS in plastic mulch may be recommended in groundnut cultivation.