Schoenite and potassium sulphate: Indigenous potassic fertilizer for rainfed groundnut (<i><span style="color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Arachis</span></i><span style="color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> <i>hypogaea</i><span style="color:#004400;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">L.) </span></span></span>

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted on groundnut (<i>Arachis</i> <i>hypogaea</i> L.var. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">ICGS 76</i>) during the rainy season of 2006-08 at ICAR Research Complex, North East Hill region, Jharnapani Centre, Nagaland, to study the relative effectiveness of indigenously produced sulphate of potash and schoenite on groundnut. India is meeting its urea requirement largely through indigenous production but dependent mostly on import for meeting the requirements of potassic (K) fertilizers. Indigenously developed potassic fertilizer schoenite showed better effect on growth and yield of groundnut crop. The results revealed that schoenite as source of potash significantly improved the growth, yield attributes and kernel yield of groundnut. The maximum dry pod yield, harvest index and oil yield were recorded with 60 Kg/ha potash through schoenite. Thus schoenite also helps in better nutrient uptake and their utilization in the plants. Thus, indigenous potassic source is found to be highly effective in increasing the groundnut productivity compared to exotic sulphate of potash.