Sustainable Groundnut Profitability in Acidic Soils of Meghalaya through Integrated Nutrient Management

Sushree Panda

School of Tribal Resource Management,

Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences- Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India [email protected]

Aditya Kumar Singh

School of Natural Resources Management,

College of Post Graduate Studies in Agriculture Sciences, CAU(I), Umiam, Meghalaya, India

Abstract

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) provides a feasible diversification option for rainfed agriculture in the NEHR, India, yet its productivity is restrained by acidic soils with poor nutrient availability and low fertilizer use efficiency. This study evaluated the impact of nutrient management strategies on yield performance and profitability of groundnut grown in strongly acidic soil conditions in Meghalaya. An experimental trial was conducted in RBD with nine treatments involving combinations of farmyard manure (FYM), Eupatorium biomass, biofertilizers (Rhizobium and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria), and chemical fertilizers at varying rates which were replicated thrice. Findings demonstrated substantial treatment effects on pod yield and economic returns. Treatment T₉ (FYM @ 2.5 t ha⁻¹ + Eupatorium @ 5 t ha⁻¹ + 50% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB) recorded significantly higher pod yield, net return and B:C ratio over the remaining treatments followed closely by treatments T₃ (100% RDF) and T₈ (Eupatorium + Rhizobium + PSB), with B:C ratios of 1.92 and 1.90, respectively. However, B:C ratio was found at par between T₉ (2.11) and T₃ (1.92) but recorded significantly more over the remaining treatments. In contrast, the control and single-input treatments produced statistically lower yields and net returns.

KISS International Journal of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainability (KIJEIS) 2025 Jul, Vol.1 (1): 37 – 46