MACRONUTRIENT REQUIREMENT OF GROUNDNUT : EFFECTS ON UPTAKE OF MACRONUTRIENTS

Abstract

A series of sand culture pot experiments were conducted to find-out the required concentrations of macronutrients in the nutrient solution, for growing groundnut. The groundnut variety JL 24 was grown at 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 150 and 200 ppm levels of each of N, P, K, Ca and S, separately. The uptake of these macronutrients by groundnut were determined. The study revealed that increasing levels of N, P, K, Ca and S upto 100, 50, 100, 200, and 20 ppm, respectively of these macronutrients, in the nutrient solution, increased their uptake. There was an interaction among macronutrient absorption. Increasing N level increased P, K, Ca and Mg, increasing K level decreased Ca and Mg and increasing Ca level decreased K and Mg concentrations in plant tissues and their uptake. The P and S, however, did not show any interaction effects with other macronutrients. The crop received balanced nutrition and showed best growth at 50, 20, 50, 50, and 20 ppm, levels of N, P, K, Ca and S, respectively.