Effect of soil amendments on the varietal evaluation of groundnut underrainfed conditions at Peshawar valley [Pakistan]

The experiment was laid out on 6th May 1998 in a well prepared fieldusing randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement havingfour replications. The soil amendments were allotted main plots and varieties tosub plots. Emergence/m2 was significantly affected by varieties due to theirrecommended seed rates for their different growth habits. However soilamendments and their interaction with varieties had non-significant effect onemergence. Soil amendments and varieties had significant effect on flowering.Maximum days to flowering were taken by the control and semi erect varietySP- 2000. Number of nodules/plant were statistically affected by varieties butsoil amendments had no significant effect do number of nodules/plant. Soilamendments and varieties had a significant effect on nodules weight/plant.Maximum weight of nodules/ plant was obtained by 3/4 silt and in varieties byspreading BARD-479. Significant differences were observed in soil amendments,varieties and their interaction on days to maturity. Maximum days to maturitywere observed in the control and its interaction with spreading variety BARD-479. Maximum fruiting depth was recorded by the erect variety Parachinar andin soil amendments by 3/4 silt. Maximum pod spreading distance was registeredby the interaction of 2/4 silt with spreading variety BARD-479. The soilamendments, varieties and their interaction had significantly affected plantheight. Tallest plants were noticed in the interaction of erect varietyParachinar and 3/4 silt. Maximum biomass was produced by erect varietyParachinar and in soil amendments by 3/4 silt. Numbers of pods/plant werestatistically affected by soil amendments, varieties and their interaction.Maximum pods/plant were recorded by the interaction of spreading varietyBARD-479 with 3/4 silt. Large pod was recorded by the spreading varietyBARD-479 and in soil amendments by 3/4 silt. More seeds/pod were attained bythe erect variety Parachinar and in soil amendments by 3/4 silt. Maximumthousand seed weight was recorded by the interaction of large seededspreading variety BARD-479 and 3/4 silt. Similarly pod yield was alsosignificantly affected by different soil amendments and varieties. Maximum podyield was produced by the spreading variety BARD-479 and in soil amendmentsby 3/4 silt. Finally soil amendments and varieties had significantly affected oilcontent. Maximum oil content was registered by the interaction of semi erectvariety SP-2000 and 2/4 silt. Silt at the rate of 3/4 had produced maximumyield followed by the non-significant ean of 2/4 silt. In case of varieties thespreading BARD-479 had produced maximum yield followed by the non-significant mean of semi-erect variety Swat Phali-96. Therefore, in this trialsoil amendment of 2/4 silt and the semi erect variety Swat Phali-96 wereproved to be the best for Peshawar valley conditions, The reason ofrecommending semi-erect variety is it's easier harvesting than the spreadingvariety. In case of non-availability of silt anal manpower, gypsum at the rateof 750 kg/ha could be recommended as well.