Review article AN OVERVIEW ON ROLE OF PHOSPHORUS AND WATER DEFICITS ON GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS HYPOGAEA L.)

Fertilizer application in crop plants normally result in enhanced crop yields up to certain levels. Each of these major and minor nutrients have specific role in producing growth and yield enhancement in agricultural crops. However, the exact time and dose of fertilizer application in the given crop schedule is also of paramount importance for successfully exploiting the crop’s potentiality in terms of yield. Groundnut is an important oilseed crop in the tropics and semi-arid tropics. Yield and often quality of oil in groundnut is sizeably dependent on proper application of different nutrients that have a direct say on these attributes. Phosphorus application in groundnut has tremendous impact on growth and development in groundnut. Further, the effect of phosphorus on yield and yield attributes is also well established. Another important factor determining crop growth and yields in groundnut is water. During periods of unpredictable water shortages, within season adjustments of water scheduling must be made in relation to the difference in the yield sensitivity to water deficits on groundnut and its individual growth periods. Thus management of limited water supplies for increased crop production requires studies on water production function of groundnut. This paper reviews information on phosphorus fertilization studies in groundnut and also in identifying moisture sensitive periods in groundnut for limited water management. PHOSPHORUS NUTRITION IN GROUNDNUT The total amount of phosphorus taken up by groundnut crop is relatively small amounting to 0.4 kg available