Progress in Groundnut Research at ICRISAT

Groundnut production in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) exceeds that of any other legume and comprises 70% of the world's production. With approximately 25% protein and 50% edible oil, groundnut are in important source of food and cash to SAT farmers. The haulms remaining after the pods are removed constitute a valuable and nutritious animal feed. The average yield of groundnut for the SAT remains very low at around 800 kg/ha of dried pods, and yields fluctuate widely from unreliable rainfall. Diseases and pest attacks also cause severe reductions in yield. For the past 8 years we have been carrying out research into disease and pest problems, drought stress, and nutrient stress. Interaction between the various stress factors have also been studied. Considerable effort has gone into the development of high-yielding cultivars, particularly for stress-free situation. Our continuing management strategy is to use the genetic diversity in groundnut and its wild relatives to breed into the crop stable resistance or tolerance to the major yield reducers. This paper covers some of the ICRISAT groundnut research activities which are of relevance to the production and productivity of the groundnut crop in Indi