Effects of Selected Tillage Practices on Groundnut Pod Losses and Yield under Rainfed Conditions

Soil preparation to achieve the desired seedbed is one of the most important cultivation practices that could play a crucial role in the productivity and loss reduction of the groundnut crop. A field experiment was conducted during the rainy season at West Kordofan, Sudan. The objective was to evaluate the effect of different tillage methods on pod losses and pod yield of rain-fed groundnut. Evaluated tillage practices were harrowing alone, harrowing + animal-drawn plough (locally termed koriyat), cultivator alone, cultivator + animal-drawn plough and animal-drawn plough as control. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replicates. The results showed that the tillage practices had significant effects on groundnut pod losses. The highest percentage of pod loss was recorded under the harrowing of 7%, while the least percentage of 1.8% obtained under the combination of harrowing + animal-drawn plough. There were no significant differences among different tillage practices in pod and kernel yield of the groundnut. However, a combination of harrowing + animal drawn plough showed a slight increase in pod and kernel yield in comparison with other tillage practices.