Influence of Gypsum Application on Yield and Visual Quality of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Grown in Maspotha in Kurunegala District of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a high value oil crop in Sri Lanka. Low yields and poor quality are the major constraints in groundnut production. The crop is usually grown in well-drained soils with a pH of 6.5. Inadequate and unbalanced supply of nutrients may be one of the reasons for low yields in acidic and sandy soils. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted during the Maha season 2012/2013 to find out the effect of gypsum on the yield and quality of groundnut in Maspotha divisional secretariat area in the Kurunegala district. Soil pH and EC were measured to determine the acidity and salinity levels. Four treatments namely, 0, 125, 175, 250 kg/ha of gypsum were used in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicates. The crop management practices were done according to recommendations of DOA. The nut yield, number of pegs per plant, kernel and shell weight of fifty pegs per plot, dry weight of fifty seeds were measured. The seed quality and filling of seeds in each treatment were also evaluated. The results revealed that the application of 250 kg/ha of gypsum changed the soil pH from 4.1 to 5.0 and increased the mean pod dry weight from 618 to 865 g with high quality kernels (with good appearance and size)