Strategies to Make Rice Based Groundnut Production System More Dynamic Towards Sustainable Food and Nutritional Security in India

摘要

Groundnut, primarily an oilseed crop, but emerging as potential food legumes in India, occupies an area of about 8.5 million hectares and contributes nearly 8.0 million tonnes which is the world's second largest. Paradoxically, the yield level of groundnut in India is low (around 940 kg/ha) as compared to China (2700 kg/ha), which has recently assumed as the largest producer of groundnut in the world. With an area of 3.84 million hectare under groundnut, China produces 10.0 million tonnes of nuts in shell. Unlike China, majority of groundnut area (7.5 m.ha) in India is under rainfed where drought takes a heavy toll besides considerable yield loss due to plethora of diseases and pests. Depending upon the vagaries of monsoon, yield level varies from 500 to 1500 kg/ha with considerable loss of quality, particularly from the aflatoxin contamination point of view. Contrary to this, productivity of groundnut in post rainy season is fairly high (1500 kg/ha and above) and quite stable. But its contribution to total groundnut production is just 32 per cent (2.2 m. tonnes as against 6.8 m. tonnes of production during rainy season).