Punjab agri varsity drive brings record success to spring groundnut in Kapurthala
Under the aegis of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, Krishi Vigyan Kendra Kapurthala (KVK) has successfully introduced and established spring groundnut cultivation in Kapurthala district.
The KVK team adopted an innovative rapid extension approach to promote the crop. Through systematic sensitisation programmes, capacity-building initiatives, frontline demonstrations, and on-farm research, spring groundnut has gained firm footing in farmers’ fields across the district.
A flag-off programme on the adoption of spring groundnut was organized at Village Kamalpur, Tehsil Sultanpur Lodhi, District Kapurthala, where around 45 progressive groundnut growers participated. With dedicated efforts from the KVK team, a groundnut bed sowing machine was introduced in the village to promote large-scale adoption of the crop. Dr Harinder Singh, Associate Director (Training), KVK Kapurthala, stated that Kapurthala was once a leading groundnut-growing district, with over 12,000 hectares under Kharif groundnut during the 1980s. However, over time, water-intensive cropping systems replaced traditional crops, leading to the dominance of the Paddy–Potato–Spring Maize rotation on more than 16,000 hectares in the district. This shift pushed cropping intensity to nearly 300 per cent and severely depleted groundwater reserves. He emphasised that spring groundnut offers a viable and sustainable alternative, as it is a low-input, water-efficient crop requiring only four irrigations. Being a legume, it improves soil structure and fertility, reduces urea requirements for subsequent crops besides create congenial micro environment to suppress the diseases in companion crop mainly melon.
Last year, under the guidance of the Director of Extension Education, PAU Ludhiana, KVK Kapurthala established demonstrations of the PAU-recommended groundnut variety J-87 in the fields of 10 farmers across different villages. The results over the past two seasons have been highly encouraging, prompting efforts to expand the acreage and motivate farmers to shift from spring/summer maize to groundnut cultivation.
Dr Mandeep Singh, Assistant Professor (Agronomy), shared that during the current spring season, progressive farmer Jarnail Singh of Village Kamalpur, Tehsil Sultanpur Lodhi, cultivated 26 acres of spring groundnut (variety J-87), setting a notable example for fellow farmers. For the past four years, he had been growing spring maize on 30 acres but chose to diversify after observing the promising outcomes of the project.
Farmers in the area are increasingly adopting the PAU-recommended J-87 variety, which matures within 100–115 days and offers substantial economic returns. Growers report the potential to earn over Rs 1 lakh per acre, and the involvement of private buyers ensuring assured marketing is expected to further increase the acreage under this high-value industrial crop. Gagandeep Dhawan, Assistant Professor (Soil Science), highlighted the crop’s contribution to soil health and sustainability.
