Indian J. agric. S c i.

S3 (5) : 345-51, May 1983

Effects of fertilizers, leaf-spots and population density on the perfor­

mance of groundnut at two locations in Nigeria
J. Y. YAYOCK1 and J. J. OWONUBI2

Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria,

Nigeria

Received : 21 April 1982

ABSTRACT
The effects of a compound fertilizer (Rustica, 12-12-17-2, NPKMg) and gypsum, and
protection against leaf-spots on the performance of 2 varieties of groundnut (A rach is
h yp o g a e a Linn.) grown with different densities of groundnut population were studied at Dam-
batta and Kano from 1973 to 1976. Pod yields, haulm production and shelling percentage
increased with an increase in population from 57,000 to 172,000 plants/ha. Application
of gypsum along with Rustica did not significantly affect pod or haulm yield, and also had
no appreciable effect on shelling percentage. The values for shelling percentage declined
when rainfall and disease conditions were unfavourable.

Groundnut (.Arachis hypogaea Linn.)
raised at certain locations in the main
producing (Sudan) zone of Nigeria often
contain abnormally high amount of un­
filled pods (‘pops’). Typified by Dam-
professor, Scientist, Department of Agro­
nomy.
batta (12° 27'N, 08° 31’E), such locations
are invariably government farms inten­
sively cropped for several years The
‘pops’ problem is similar to that often
attributed to calcium deficiency (Colwell
and Brady, 1945; Brady et al., 1948).
The Nigerian groundnut crop is nor-

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 YAYOCK AND OWONUBI [Vol. 53, No. 5

mally fertilized with single superphosphate, Table 1. Some chemical properties of soils at
which supplies the needed calcium and Kano and Dambatta before planting groundnut
in 1973
sulphur in addition to phosphorus
(Greenwood, 1951; Goldsworthy and
Heathcote, 1963). However, the increase Soil characteristics Kano D am batta
in fertilizer demands since 1970 has
been met by importing, in large amounts, pH (in CaCI.) 4.85 4.58
a compound fertilizer Rustica (12-12-17-2, pH (in H 20 ) 5.65 5.38
NPKMg), which has a low content of Exchange acidity (meq/ 0.20 0.18
100 g soil)
calcium and sulphur. This complex ferti­ Exchange bases (meq/
lizer is being widely used for growing 100 g soil)
groundnut in the country. Therefore, a K 0.054 0.11
study was initiated at Dambatta in 1973 Ca 0.82 0.81
to investigate the effect of this fertilizer Mg 0.059 0.15
and supplementary calcium (as gypsum, Total 0.93 1.07
CaS0,.2H.,0) on the performance of Effective cation exchange 1.13 . 1.25
(meq/100 g soil)
groundnut grown with different plant Base saturation (%) 82.3 85.6
populations and with and without leaf- Total N (%) 0.035 0.033
spot control. The trials were also con­ Resin-soluble P (kg/ha) 31.91 23.3
ducted at the Kano research farm (11°
57’N, 08° 34’E) of the Institute for Agri­
cultural Research where the soils are 115,000 and 172,000 plants/ha. Popula­
similar to those at Dambatta Farm tion counts at emergence and at the
Centre, but the farm receives more rain­ beginning of flowering differed from cal­
fall and there have been no previous culated densities by less than 1 and 1.5%
reports of groundnut ‘pops’. respectively. Fertilizer combinations pro­
viding at least 52 kg Ca and 41 kg S/ha
MATERIALS AND METHODS were applied as 168/224, 336/448 and
The soils at both locations belong to 504/672 kg/ha of Rustica and gypsum.
the ferruginous tropical group (D’Hoore, Rustica was disked into the seed-bed at
1964) and are typically fine sands, free- ridging while gypsum was dusted on the
draining, low in buffering capacity and plants during the first week of flowering.
CEC, and contain little organic matter Half of the crop under each treatment
(0.5—1.5%). Some of the chemical proper­ received weekly sprays of Dithane M-45
ties of these soils are given in Table 1. @ 6 g/litre of water, commencing about 3
Long-season varieties ‘Samaru 61’ and weeks after sowing.
‘F 439-4’, were grown for 4 consecutive The treatments were arranged as split-
years (1973-76) at both locations. blocks (spray and no-spray), with 3
‘Samaru 61’, an alternatively branched replications. The gross plots were 10.6 m
variety, is a local selection most widely (14 ridges) by 4.5 m long. Yield was
grown in the Sudan zone of Nigeria and taken from net plots 7.6 m (10 ridges)
the only commercial variety recommen­ by 3.0 m long. Some of the cultural
ded for the whole of Kano State. operations followed for growing the crop
‘F 439-4’ is a selection from an exotic are given in Table 2.
cross between an alternately branched
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
runner and a sequentially branched up­
right-bunch form and has a high yield A summary of the data on main
potential. Both the varieties belong to effects of treatments on pod and haulm
the Virginia and Castle Cary group yields and shelling percentage is given
(Gibbons et al., 1972). in Tables 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Variety
The plants were spaced 22.5, 15.0, and plant population showed significant
11.0 and 7.5 cm apart on 76-cm ridges to interaction effects on pod yield only at
give calculated densities of 57,000, 86,000, Dambatta (Table 6). Mainly as a result

346
May 1983] GROUNDNUT YIELD IN NIGERIA

Table 2. Schedule of cultural operations followed in groundnut trials at Kano and Dambatta, 1973-76

Location Sowing First Gypsum Lifting Total

year fungicide application rainfall
spray (mm)

K ano
1973 3 July 1 Aug 6 Aug 25 Oct 114 416
1974 27 June 23 July 1 Aug 25 Oct 120 661
1975 26 June 29 July 29 July 1 Nov 127 713
1976 30 June 22 July 2 Aug 1 Nov 122 545
R51 *
D a m b a tta
1973 24 July 14 Aug 23 Aug 18 Oct 86 390
•1974 2 July 29 July 20 Jul 24 Oct 114 606
1975 5 July 29 July 12 July 21 Oct 108 607
1976 14 July 11 Aug 16 Aug 17 Nov 126 599
815*

*Long-term means, 1916 to 1973 and 1950 to 1970, for Kano andD am batta.

Table 3. Groundnut pod yield (kg/ha) as affected by population density, fertilizer level, variety and
leaf-spot control at Dambatta and Kano, 1973-76

Dambatta Kano
1973 1974 1975 1976 1973 1974 1975 1976

P o p u la tio n (p la n ts/h a )
57,000 619 1,846 135 65 875 1,295 24 107
86,000 611 2,211 163 107 1,122 1,508 40 163
115,000 719 2,212 212 123 1,088 1,337 53 224
172,000 635 2,645 322 160 1,281 1,649 62 272
SE ± 33 76 19 13 69 69 6 19

F e rtilize r (Icg/ha)*
168+224 654 2,245 214 90 1,011 1,423 39 178
336+448 862 2,220 224 112 1,156 1,468 46 191
504+672 870 2,221 185 144 1,108 1,450 49 205
SE± 18 86 18 8 66 80 4 7
V a riety
‘Samara 61’ 646 2,401 156 85 1,118 1,545 33 167
‘F 439-4’ 920 2,057 260 142 1,065 1,350 56 216
SE± 24 54 14 9 49 49 4 13

L e a f-sp o t co n tro l

Without 757 2,011 162 110 995 1,265 40 182

With 810 2,446 254 117 1,188 1,629 50 201
SE± 24 54 14 9 49 49 4 13

*Rustica+gypsum, respectively.

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 YAYOCK AND OWONUBI [Vol. 53, No. 5

of lower-than average rainfall especially obtained above this population density

in 1973 (Table 2), an unprecedented
attack of groundnut rosette virus in
1975 (Yayock, 1977) and a combination
of rosette disease and unfavourable wea­
ther in 1976 (Yayock, 1979), the crop
performed poorly in all years except 1974.
Pod and haulm yields
The yield of pods was generally low
and highly variable; nevertheless the
effects of treatments were quite evident,
particularly at Dambatta (Table 3). Grow­
ing groundnuts at high plant population
increased pod yield at both locations.
At Kano, however, increases in pod yield
were significant only at 86,000 plants/ha;
little further benefit in pod yield was
because within-row competition was pro­
bably too severe. Yield increases above
this population might have been possible
with closer row spacing.
*F 439-4’ showed a more consistent
rise than ‘Samaru 61’ in pod production
with increased plant population (Table 6).
In 1973, the rainfall was only 47.9 and
48.8 % of the expected amount at Dambatta
and Kano, respectively. The droughty
condition reversed the yield response to
population at both the locations in that
year. In general, ‘F 439-4’ produced
higher pod yields than ‘Samaru 61’ during
unfavourable years, suggesting that the
former may be relatively drought-tolerant.
The measure were taken to control

Table 4. Effect of population density, fertlizer levels, variety and leaf-spot control on the haulm yield
(kg/ha) of groundnut at Dambatta and Kano, 1973-76

Treatment Dambatta Kano

1973 1974 1975 1976 Mean 1973 1974 1975 1976 Mean

P o p u la tio n ( p la n ts/h a )
57,000 2,014 1,417 806 828 1,266 1,168 964 460 620 803
86,000 2,200 1,728 994 1,091 1,503 1,410 1,175 582 959 1,032
115,000 2,214 1,609 1,194 1,155 1,543 1,426 1,052 684 1,014 1,044
172,000 2,339 1,950 1,695 1,273 1,814 1,644 1,255 993 1,375 1,317
SE± 65 72 65 105 90 59 44 47

F ertilizer (k g /h a )*
168+224 2,268 1,683 1,163 960 1,438 1,298 1,072 650 934 989
336+448 2,361 1,668 1,210 1,046 1,548 1,497 1,113 686 981 1,069
504+672 2,363 1,677 1,181 1,255 1,619 1,441 1,150 703 1,061 1,089
SE± 16 56 53 50 59 35 30 29

V a riety
‘Samaru 61’ 2,167 1,933 1,231 1,301 1,658 1,620 1,327 693 1,025 1,166
‘F 439-4’ 2,216 1,419 1,093 872 1,400 1,204 895 666 959 931
SE± 46 51 46 74 64 41 31 33

L e a f-sp o t co n tro l
Without 1,994 1,328 953 958 1,308 1,255 994 572 871 923
With 2,390 2,024 1,417 1,216 1,762 1,568 1,229 787 1,113 1,174
SE± 46 51 46 74 64 41 31 33

*Rustica+gypsum, respectively.

348
May 1983] GROUNDNUT YIELD IN NIGERIA

Table 5. Effect of population density, fertilizer level, variety and leaf-spot control on groundnut
pod-shelling quality (%) at Dambatta and Kano, 1973-76

Treatment Dambatta Kano

1973 1974 1975 1976 Mean 1973 1974 1975 1976 Mean

P op u la tio n (p la n ts/h a )
57,000 55.9 67.0 51.7 44.2 54.7 70.1 68.5 58.6 58.4 63.9"
86,000 54.9 67.0 52.4 41.8 54.0 70.5 68.8 60.2 58.3 64.5
115,000 58.9 68.0 56.1 44.8 57.0 70.7 69.7 57.5 62.8 65.2
172,000 59.6 68.9 56.5 49.6 58.7 70.8 71.1 59.4 62.4 65.9
SE± 0.7 0.8 1.0 1.4 0.9 0.7 1.3 1.2
F e rtilize r (k g /h a )*
168+224 57.3 68.1 55.0 44.5 56.2 70.0 69.3 59.2 60.9 64.9
336+448 56.7 67.8 53.7 46.0 56.1 71.0 69.7 58.4 61.4 65.1
504+672 57.8 67.3 53.8 44.8 55.9 70.6 69.7 59.1 60.4 65.0
SE± 0.6 0.7 0.8 1.9 0.6 0.2 0.9 0.8
V a rie ty
‘Samaru 61’ 60.0 71.4 53.1 40.9 56.4 71.9 70.3 56.6 57.6 64.1
‘F 439-4’ 54.6 64.0 49.3 49.3 55.8 69.2 69.2 61.2 63.3 65.7
SE± 0.5 0.5 0.7 1.0 0.6 0.5 0.9 0.8
L e a f-sp o t co n tro l
Without 57.4 68.7 54.6 45.5 56.6 71.0 70.0 59.8 61.3 65.5
With 57.2 66.8 53.8 44.7 55.6 70.1 69.2 58.0 59.6 64.2
SE± 0.5 0.5 0.7 1.0 0.6 0.5 0.9 0.8

*Rustica+gypsum, respectively.

Table 6. Mean effect of population density on the pod yield (kg/ha) of 2 groundnut varieties at
Dambatta, 1973--76

Population ‘Samaru 61’ ‘F 439-4’

1973 1974 1975 1976 Mean 1973 1974 1975 1976 Mean

57,000 260 2,242 143 52 752 978 1,450 128 78 659

86,000 272 2,421 142 111 822 950 2,002 183 110 811
115,000 553 2,273 133 93 805 885 2,152 296 152 871
172,000 402 2,716 206 100 914 868 2,574 438 229 1,027
SE± 24 54 14 10 24 54 14 10

leaf-spots, the yield increased but there
was no response to fertilizer application,
except at Dambatta and only in 1973.
In addition to soil factors which might
have had an adverse influence on the
effectiveness of applied fertilizers, the
duration, distribution and total amount
of rainfall received annually at both
locations (Tables 2, 7) were such that
dissolution and utilization of nutrients
were probably reduced.
Significantly greater haulm yields were
recorded at high than at low population
density (Table 4) and no real differential

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 YAYOCK AND OWONUBI [Vol. 53, No. 5

Table 7. Distribution of rainfall (mm) during groundnut trials at Kano, 1973-1976, compared with
1916-1973 means

Date Mean 1973 1974 1975 1976

M ar 11-20 1 0 0 0 0
21-31 1 0 0 0 0
Apr 1-10 2 0 0 0 0
11-20 4 0 0 0 0
21-30 6 0 0 18 0
May 1-10 11 0 29 0 0
11-20 19 0 12 5 37
21-31 36 3 0 35 7
June 1-10 27 11 19 43 27
11-20 44 7 8 73 68
21-30 47 20 15 12 22
July 1-10 54 18 76 32 56
11-20 65 101 42 23 54
21-31 91 50 143 71 . 22
Aug 1-10 102 110 37 25 46
11-20 94 58 106 101 45
21-31 105 3 55 99 32
Sep 1-10 62 16 56 87 49
11-20 47 0 11 93 16
21-30 23 19 45 1 2
Oct 1-10 10 0 6 0 5
11-20 2 0 0 0 44
21-31 1 0 0 0 11

responses were observed between varieties.
Increasing the fertilizer levels had no
significant effect on haulm production.
Shelling percentage
The values of shelling percentage
recorded at Dambatta were markedly
lower than at Kano in 1973 and 1976,
while they were almost on a par in 1974
and 1975. In 1974, a favourable year for
production of pods, the shelling percentage
was fairly high at both locations. In the
bad years, particularly 1975 and 1976,
the shelling percentage was very low.
Plant populations did not significantly
affect the shelling quality when yields
were high in 1974—-although in all years,
the highest values of shelling percentage
were recorded when groundnut was grown
at a density ranging between 115,000 and
172,000 plants/ha. Protecting groundnuts
against leaf-spots in general brought no
change in shelling percentage with an
exception that shelling percentage was low
in 1974 at Dambatta. The observed
depression of shelling percentage with the
control of leaf-spots was probably be­
cause the retention of leaflets till matura­
tion demanded significant amount of food
reserves to maintain vegetative growth at
the expense of pod development and fill.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The entire technical staff at the Kano
Agricultural Research Station, especially
Mr F. Z. Denke, are thanked for their

350
May 1983] GROUNDNUT YIELD IN NIGERIA
assistance in collecting the data. The
work forms a part of an approved pro­
gramme of oilseeds research of the Insti­
t u t e for Agricultural Research, and the
Director is thanked for permission to
publish the data.
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G ibbons, R. W., B untings, A. H. and Smartt, J.
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