Effect of Different Levels of FYM and Recommended Dose of Fertilizer and their Methods of Application on Groundnut in Western Uttar Pradesh

A two-year field experiment was conducted at the Research farm of Kisan Post Graduate College (Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut), Simbhaoli, Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, from July-October of 2016 and 2017, respectively, to investigate the response of organic manures (farmyard manure) and chemical fertilizers and their method of application (broadcasting and root zone application) on Groundnut crop under assured irrigation. The soil of the field experiment was clay loam with chemical reaction 7.80, electrical conductivity (0.31 mm uS cm-1), low in organic carbon content (0.37%), low in available nitrogen and medium in phosphorus, and high in potassium. Results of the field experiment revealed that pod yield of groundnut improved by root zone placement of farmyard manure (FYM) and inorganic fertilizers mainly through a significant improvement in weight of 100 kernels. FYM and different NPK levels of fertilizers were applied as broadcasting and root zone placement in different treatments. Application of 14.0 tonnes of FYM ha-1 recorded significantly higher pod yield over the control plot. Root zone application of 75% of the recommended dose of 20 kg N, 80 kg P2O5, and 20 kg K2O ha-1 resulted in higher dry matter accumulation which leads to higher pod yield. Amid the interaction effect, a combination of 14.0 tonnes of FYM ha-1+75% RDF, 14.0 tonnes of FYM ha-1+root zone application and 100% RDF of NPK+root zone application obtained the highest pods yield as compared to other treatment combinations.