Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

CHARACTERIZATION OF GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS HYPOGAEA L.)VARIETIES AS PER DUS GUIDELINES

A.R. Karthikeyan, S. Ezhilkumar and P. Karthikeyan

Abstract

Seventy-five varieties of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) were studied to know various morphologicalcharacters (DUS) responsible for the identification of groundnut varieties. Seeds were collected from NationalOilseed Research Station, Junagadh, Gujarat, India. The groundnut varieties were evaluated with threereplications using the randomized block design (RBD) in farmers field Mittahalli village, Krishnagiri, TamilNadu, India during 2020-21, 2021-22. Observation were recorded on morphometric characters viz., seedcolour, seed shape, testacolour, 100 seed weight, plant growth habit, leaflet size, leaflet colour, stempubescence, flower present on main axis, flower arrangement on side branches, pod constrictions, podreticulation, and presence of beak. On other hand plant growth habit, kernalcolour, kernal shape and testacolour are important characters for the identification of groundnut varieties.