Effects of sowing date, spatial arrangement and population on yield and kernel weight of irrigated Virginia Bunch peanuts

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out to determine the effects of sowing date, spatial arrangement and population on yields of Virginia Bunch peanuts grown with supplementary irrigation in the Ord Irrigation Area between 1977 and 1979. Late sowing (January 11, 1978) reduced pod yields by 19% (from 5.02 to 4.21 t/ha) and kernel yields by 18% (from 3.55 to 2.85 t/ha) compared with early sowing (December 8, 1977). Mean single kernel weights were increased from 859 to 895 mg by late sowing. As population increased from 0.6 to about 12 plants/m2, pod yields rose from 2.1 to about 5 t/ha. Kernel yields showed similar increases and mean single kernel weights showed smaller increases over this range. Spatial arrangement of plants, either in single rows on 0.9 1 m ridges or in multiple rows on 1.82 m wide beds, usually had no effect on yield, but yields of high populations (about 18 plants/m2) planted on beds were reduced by 11% when compared with plantings on ridges.