Unit-6

cultivation Practices of Groundnut,

Seasamum and Niger
Cultivation practices of Groundnut
Introduction

Botanical name: Arachis hypogeae

Family: Leguminosae

Common name: Groundnut or Peanut

Origin and distribution

• It is originated from south west Brazil and Peru.

• Groundnut is distributed throughout the tropics and subtropical zones.

• It is grown in nearly 100 countries.

• Major producers are China, India, Nigeria, USA, Indonesia and Sudan.
Importance and uses:
• Groundnut is an important oil and protein source to a large portion of the population in Asia, Africa and the
America.

• Groundnut oil is the cooking media for preparing different food items.

• It is the primary source of vegetable oil requirement to the Asian people.

• Groundnut oil is used for medicinal purposes especially for massaging polio patients & it is also used as a
substitute for olive oil and also for preparation of glycerin.

• The oil cakes are used as valuable organic manures & feeding material for livestock.

• It consists of 7.3% N; 1.5% P2O5 & 1.3% K2O.

• The peanut haulms contain crude protein 8–5%, lipids 1–3%, and minerals 9– 10%.

• These are used as cattle feed either in fresh or in dried stage or preparing hay or silage.
Soil requirements

➢ Groundnut can be grown on all types of soils such as sandy, sandy loam & heavy black soils.

➢ It thrives best on sandy loams.

➢ Most suitable soils for groundnut production are well-drained light sandy loams with an ample supply of
calcium and moderate organic matter.

➢ Heavy and stiff clay soils are not desirable as they tend to become hard during dry weather thereby
interfering with peg penetration into the soil and also make the harvest extremely difficult.

➢ Groundnut is one of the most acid tolerant crops with a critical pH range of 5 – 5.5.

➢ It is moderately sensitive to soil salinity & highly susceptible to water logging.

Climatic requirements
Rainfall
• The crop can be grown successfully in places receiving a minimum of 500 mm and a maximum of 1250 mm.
Optimum rainfall is 500-700mm.

• Rainfall should be adequate during flowering and pegging stages.

Temperature
• Soil temperature <18°C delays emergence of seedlings.

• Groundnut performs well in dry temperature range between 24°C & 33°C, but it can survive up to 45°C.

• Ideal temperature for reproductive stage is between 24°C – 27°C.

• Rate of pod growth will be maximum between 30°C& 34°C.

Light
• Groundnut is day length insensitive plant.
Varieties
• For Terai, Inner Terai: Baidehi, rajharsi
• For Terai, Inner Terai, Mid Hill: Jayanti, Jyoti, Janak, B4

Botany
It is an herbaceous annual with a more or less upright central stem and with numerous branches .

• Root: The groundnut has a taproot with its lateral covering a depth of 35-40 cm and a spread of 30-35 cm of
radius.

• Stem: The groundnut stem is cylindrical, hairy and becomes more or less angular with age.

• Leaves: Groundnut leaves are pinnate with two pairs of leaflets borne on a slender and grooved petiole.

• Flower: Flowers (3-5 in number) are produced in the axils of leaves on short reproductive branches.
Land Preparation
• Ground nut needs well aerated, moist and weed free field.
• For growing groundnut as a sole crop, the first ploughing is done with an inverting plough to loose upper layer
of soil, i.e. 20-25cm below the soil surface.
• Two harrowing with indigenous bullock driven plough should follow it.
• A properly leveled and uniformly graded field is must for proper irrigation.

Seed Treatment
• Seed treatment with Thiram @ 3g/kg, Bavistin (2g/kg) or DM – 45 (3g/kg) is effective.

Seed Rate
• 60-70 kg/ha

Sowing Time
For Barkhe kheti: Jestha 15-ashad 15
For Bashante (spring): Falgun-Chaitra

Sowing Methods
Common sowing methods are: Sowing behind the plough and use seed drill.

Spacing
(40×20) cm for spreading type and (30×15) cm for erected type.
Water Management

• It is very sensitive to water stress, particularly during rapid flowering to pod formation.

• Generally rainfed groundnut doesn’t require irrigation.

• Adequate rain are necessary at sowing for proper germination and good crop stand.

• The most suitable surface method of irrigation for groundnut is border strip irrigation method.

Weed Management

• Hand weeding is done twice: first around 20 DAS & 2nd at about 35 DAS.

• Use of herbicide: A mixture of oxadia zon & Dinoseb each @ 1.7 kg /ha gives excellent control of weeds besides
reducing stem rot in Groundnut.

• Fluazifop (150-250 g) is a promising post herbicide for controlling grasses, particularly cynodon dactylon 35-40
DAS.
Harvesting

• The prominent symptoms of maturity are yellowing of leaves, Necrotic spotting on the leaves, dropping of
older leaves / leaf fall, the pods become very hard & tough, and they give cracking sound when split open
with fingers etc.

Stripping

• The process of separating pods from haulms in bunch type is called stripping.
• The most common method is stripping pods with hand.

Yield

General yield during favorable condition is about 10- 15q/ha: Rainfed and 20-25 q/ha: Irrigated.

Storage

At the time of harvest, pods usually have moisture content around 40 – 50% & hence, need to be
dried to 10% moisture content for safe storage. Storage should be done at cool and dry place.
Pests
✓ Termites
Control:
• Soil treatment with malathion dust @ 20-25 kg per hectare.
• Spray with chlorpyriphos @ 2ml per liter of water.

✓ White grub
Control:
• Use fully decomposed manure.
• Soil treatment with Chlorpyriphos @ 6.5 -12.5 ml per kg seed

✓ Leaf Miner
Control:
• Destroy the insect effected plants parts.
• Cultivation of disease resistant varieties.
• Spray with malathion @3 ml or Dimethoate @ 2 ml per liter of water.

✓ Hairy caterpillar
Control:
• Dusting with Malathion @25 kg per hectare in small larvae stage of pest.
• Spray with Malathion @ 2 ml or Chloropyriphos @ 2.5 ml per liter of water.
Diseases
❖ Tikka disease
Control:
• Cultivate treated seed.
• Destroy the disease affected plants or plant parts.
• Spray Carbendazim @ 1 gram or Copper oxychloride @ 3 gram per liter of water with interval of 15 days in 4-
times.

❖ Root rot
Control:
• Give proper sanitation in peanut field.
• Seed treatment with Carbendazim @ 3 gram per kg seed.

❖ Rust
Control:
• Seed treatment Thiram @ 3 gram per kg seed.
• Spray with Zenab @ 2 gram per liter with 3-4 times in highly growth period.

❖ Blight
Control:
• Spray with mancozeb @ 3 gram per liter of water (4-5 times).
CULTIVATION PRACTICES OF SESAMUM
Introduction
• Scientific Name: Sesamum indicum
• Family: Pedaliaceae
• Chromosome No: 2n = 26
• Common Name: Til
• It is also known as poor man’s ghee and queen of
oilseeds because of its quality and its resistance to
oxidation and rancidity.
Origin and distribution

• Wild species of sesame are native to Africa, where cultivated type (S. indicum) was
originated in India.

• Major sesame producing countries are India, China, Myanmar, Sudan, Pakistan, Mexico,
Ethiopia, Srilanka and Burma.

• It is distributed all over Africa, Europe and Asia.

• It is cultivated in tropics and sub-tropics regions of the world. India is the major producer of
sesame.
Importance and uses

➢ Sesame seeds are used in baking, candy making, and other food industries.

➢ Oil from the seed is used in cooking and salad oils and margarine, and contains about 47% oleic
and 39% linoleic acid.

➢ Foods fried in sesame oil have a long shelf life because the oil contains an antioxidant called
sesamol.

➢ The oil can be used in the manufacture of soaps, paints, perfumes, pharmaceuticals and
insecticides, Sesame meal, left after the oil is pressed from the seed, is an excellent high-protein
(34 to 50%) feed for poultry and livestock. 38-54% high quality oil containing 1-15% protein.
Soil requirements

• This crop is extremely susceptible to water logging condition.

• Sesame comes up well on soils with slightly acidic or neutral reaction.
• It can be grown on well drained soils and performs well in light loamy soils.
• Suitable pH for sesame is 5-8. Very sandy, saline and alkaline soils are not suitable.

Climatic requirements

• Sesame is essentially a tropical crop grown in arid and semi-arid areas.

• It is generally cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical countries.
• Generally, it requires fairly hot conditions during growth for optimum yield.
• Ideal optimum temperature for growth is 25-270C.
• Sesame is a short-day plant.
• High light intensity increases amount of Capsules/plant.
• Sesame is capable of withstanding a higher degree of water stress.
• A rainfall of 600-1000mm results in optimum yield.
Varieties
• Released variety of Sesame is Nawalpur khairo til, suitable to Terai and Inner Terai.

• Farmers use their own local variety i.e. Kalo til, Khairo til and Seto tile

Botany
• Sesame is an erect annual plant that grows up to a height of 20 to 60 in., depending on the variety and the
growing conditions.

• Some varieties are highly branched, while others are unbranched.

• Leaves are variable in shape and size and may be opposite or alternate.

• The bell-shaped white to pale-rose flowers begin to develop in the leaf axils 6 to 8 weeks after planting and this
continues for several weeks.

• Sesame is normally self-pollinated

Manure and Fertilizer Management
• For better growth and development 5-7 ton FYM and 20:30:30 kg NPK per ha is recommended.
• Full dose of P and K and half dose of N should be applied as basal application and remaining half of N should
be top-dressed.

Land Preparation
• Field should be ploughed and harrowed repeatedly for bringing the soil to fine tilth.
• Land should be leveled properly.

Seed Treatment
• Seed treatment with Thiram (3g/kg) is effective against seed borne diseases.

Seed Rate
• 3-5 kg/ha.

.
Sowing Time
Sowing time is between 3rd weeks of baisakh to 2nd week of jestha.

Sowing Methods
Broad casting and Line sowing

Sowing depth
2-3 cm.

Spacing
Spacing of about (30-45×10-15) cm is recommended.

Irrigation/water management
• Water requirement for sesame ranges between 300-340mm.
• For summer sesame, a pre-sowing irrigation is necessary for optimum seed germination and adequate stand
establishment.
• Flower initiation and capsule filling stages are most sensitive to water deficits.
Weed Management

• Sesame is sensitive to weed competition during the first 15-25 DAS.

• A minimum of two weeding, one after 15 DAS and another 35 DAS are required to keep the field relatively
weeds free.
• If necessary, Alachlor (1.0kg/ha) or Thiobencarb (2.0kg/ha) can be used as pre-emergence spray for effective
control of weeds.
• Use of pre emergence herbicides followed by one hand weeding around 30 DAS is the most appropriate way of
weed management in sesame.

Harvesting

• The crop is harvested when the leaves, stems and capsules begin to turn yellow and the lower leaves start
shedding.
• To prevent shedding of seed, the crop should not become dead ripe in the field.
• The ripe plants are cut at the ground level carried to threshing yard, stacked for a week in the sun with the cut
ends upwards.
Yield

• 2-6 qtl/ha

Storage

• Clean and dry seeds before storage. 6-8% moisture for storage is suitable.

• Containers should be air tight and they should be stored at cool and dry places
Diseases

❖Alternaria leaf spot ( Alternaria Sesami)

Control:
• Spray Zineb 0.2% at the time of disease appearance.
• Seed treatment with systemic fungicide like Bavistin.

❖Leaf curl:

• Color of the infected leaves is darker.

• Reduction in size and brittleness.

control
• Soil application of phorate 10% granules @10kg/ha
• Foliar spray of Oxydometon Methyl 25EC @1ml/water
Insects-Pests:
➢ Leaf roller and capsule borer
• Green color with small black dots all over the body.

control
• Early sowing is desirable to minimize the damage.
• It can be controlled with 4% phosalone dust @25 kg/ha.

➢ Gall midge
• Capsules are stunted, twisted and malformed.

Control
• Spray of Endosulfan @0.5%.
Cultivation practices of
Niger
Introduction

• Botanical name: Guizotia abyssinica

• Niger crop is grown for seed, used for extracting oil which is about 37 to 43%

• The crop sheds a large quantity of dry leaves in the field and thereby adds lot of organic matter to the soil

• Known as “Kalatil” “Ramtil” and “surguja” in Hindi.

• Seed resemble to sunflower seed in shape, but dark and small in size.

Origin and Distribution

• Niger is native of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

• Grown in East Africa, India, Germany, Switzerland, France, USSR, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi.

• Ethiopia is the major niger producing country in the world

Importance

• Niger also used as green manure.

• Niger seed cake is a valuable cattle feed.

• Niger seed is used as human food.

• Oleic acid (38%) and linoleic acid (51.6%).

• Oil is used for culinary purposes.

• Used for manufacturing paints and soft -soaps and cosmetics.

• Niger oil is used as base oil in perfume industry.

• Niger oil is use for pharmaceutical purpose.

Soil requirements

• Niger is grown on all soils from sandy deep clay loam.

• well drained heavy soils can be used for cultivation.
• It can tolerate salinity to some extent, increased salinity delays flowerings.
• The crop grows well in the soils having pH 5.2 to 7.3

Climatic requirements

• It is a temperate region crop and also adapted to semi-tropical environment.

• Niger is a short-day plant.
• Requires moderate temperature of 18-23°C for its growth.
• Temperature above 30°C growth rate and flowering are adversely affected and hastens maturity.
• Frost will kill the young seedlings.
• Rainfall of 1000-1300 mm is optimum although 800 mm will produce reasonable yield.
• High wind or rain at seed maturity will cause difficult in maturity.
.
Varieties
• Indian Varieties: Recommended improved varieties are Ootacamand, GA 10, Phulbani, GAZ, GA 10, CHH4,
RCR 317, TN 5 and Gujarat Niger, Mature in 75- 100 days.

Manure and Fertilizer Management

• N:P:K=40:40:40 kg/ha and 2-4 ton/ha FYM is good.

Land Preparation
• leveled seed bed is essential to ensure uniform planting and subsequent emergence.
• Good tilth is obtained by 1 or 2 ploughings followed by 2 harrowings.
• In hilly areas, furrows run across the slope to avoid soil erosion.

Seed Rate
• Broadcasting: 8kg/ha
• Line Sowing: 5kg/h
Sowing Time
• June – August

Spacing
• (30*10) cm

Weed Management
• Niger grows rapidly once the seedlings are established and dense growth competes with weeds.
• Two weeding first at 15 DAS and second at 30-35 DAS before top dressing.
• Pre-emergence herbicide – “Pronamide” @ 2 kg per ha and as Post-emergence as soil treatment @ 20 DAS for
Dodder (Cuscuta chinensis).

Water Management
• Niger is invariably grown in rainy season and it is not irrigated mostly.
• It is reported that niger yields can be doubled under irrigation.
• Irrigation must be given at seedling stage for proper growth followed by based on the needs of the crop.
• Border strip system of irrigation is ideal for niger.
Harvesting

• Normally matures in about 80 -145 days after emergence.

• Stage of harvest: - when leaves dry up, head turns brown or blackish or 45-50% of moisture content in buds.
• After drying in the sun for about a week by stacking, then the crop is taken to threshing floor and crop is
manually threshed.
• Crop is also threshed by trampling under the feet of bullock.
• Threshed produce is winnowed in the wind and clean seeds are obtained.

Yield

• Pure Crop: 400-500kg/ha

• Inter Crop: 150-300kg/ha

Storage

• It should be stored in cool and dry place at air tight condition b maintaining 6-8% moisture
content on grain
Disease:

❖ Alternria leaf spot:

• Small rounded yellow spot seen in the leaves
Control
• Spray of Mancozeb @3g/lit water should be done 2 times.

❖ Powedry Mildew:
• The upper part of the leaves should be white powder appear.
Control
• Effected should be borned
• Denocab 3ml/lit water should be applied when symptoms appears.

❖ Blight
• At first rounded brownish small spot can be seen.
Control:
• Spray Zineb @3g/lit mixing water
Insects pest

➢ Hairy caterpillar
Control
• Collect the larvae and destroy them
• Spray the malathion @ 20-30kg/ha should be applied.

➢ Stem borer
Control
• Spray malathion 1ml/lit of water