Question

Which statement is correct about cultivation of groundnut crop?

• A. A temperature of \(25$-$30^\circ\mathrm{C}\) appears to be optimum for growth and flower production.
• B. Seed rate for spreading types vary from 100$-$150 kg/ha.
• C. Same dose of phosphorus fertilizers is recommended under rain-fed and irrigated conditions.
• D. Weeds cause enormous yield losses owing to their slow growth and short stature.

Hint:

For groundnut questions, remember that it is a warm-season oilseed crop and performs well under temperatures around \(25$-$30^\circ\mathrm{C}\).
Also remember that groundnut is initially a relatively slow-growing and short crop, making it highly susceptible to weed competition during critical early growth stages.
In combination questions, evaluate every statement separately before selecting the option.
Pay particular attention to statements containing absolute words such as “same dose”, because nutrient recommendations can vary with soil, moisture, and cultivation conditions.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question tests basic agronomic knowledge concerning the cultivation requirements and management of the groundnut crop.
Groundnut is an important oilseed crop whose growth, flowering, yield, and nutrient management depend on factors such as temperature, seed rate, water availability, soil conditions, and weed competition.
The statements must therefore be examined individually to identify the correct combination.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

• Statement A: Temperature of \(25$-$30^\circ\mathrm{C}\) is optimum for growth and flower production.
This statement is correct.
Groundnut is a warm-season crop and performs well under warm temperatures.
A temperature range of approximately \(25$-$30^\circ\mathrm{C}\) is considered favourable for vegetative growth, flowering, and overall crop development.
Hence, statement A is correct.

• Statement B: Seed rate for spreading types varies from 100$-$150 kg/ha.
This statement is not considered correct in the given combination.
Seed rate in groundnut depends on factors such as variety, seed size, spacing, germination percentage, and whether the variety is spreading, semi-spreading, or bunch type.
Therefore, a fixed range stated in this manner cannot be accepted as the correct general statement for the given question.

• Statement C: The same dose of phosphorus fertilizer is recommended under rain-fed and irrigated conditions.
This statement is incorrect.
Fertilizer recommendations are influenced by soil fertility, cropping conditions, expected yield, and availability of moisture.
Rain-fed and irrigated cultivation conditions can have different nutrient management requirements, so the statement that exactly the same phosphorus dose is recommended in both situations is not correct.

• Statement D: Weeds cause enormous yield losses owing to their slow growth and short stature.
This statement is correct in the context of groundnut cultivation.
Groundnut has relatively slow initial growth and remains comparatively short in stature, allowing weeds to compete strongly for water, nutrients, light, and space.
Weed competition during the early stages of crop growth can substantially reduce crop establishment and final yield.
Effective and timely weed management is therefore an important part of groundnut production.

• From the above analysis, statements A and D are correct, while statements B and C are not correct.
Therefore, the correct combination is A and D only.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct statements about cultivation of groundnut are the statements concerning the optimum temperature of \(25$-$30^\circ\mathrm{C}\) and the serious effect of weed competition.
Hence, the correct answer is (A) A and D only.