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Kadiri Harithandhra groundnut Photo: Mark Stebnicki · Pexels License · source ↗

Kadiri Harithandhra groundnut

Kadiri Harithandhra is a Spanish-bunch groundnut variety bred at the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) Kadiri under ANGRAU and notified for the south-Indian groundnut zone. It functions as the zonal check variety in AICRP-Groundnut multi-location trials for South Zone (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu) and is one of the routine breeder-seed varieties produced by ANGRAU.

Key characteristics

  • Breeder: ANGRAU, RARS Kadiri
  • Type: Spanish bunch
  • Duration: 105-110 days (kharif)
  • Pod yield: 18-22 q/ha under rainfed kharif; higher under irrigation
  • Shelling: ~70%
  • Reaction: tolerant to early and late leaf spot; field-tolerant to drought
  • Role: zonal check in AICRP-Groundnut South Zone trials

Cultivation zones

ANGRAU recommends Kadiri Harithandhra for the rainfed kharif tract of Anantapuramu, Sri Sathya Sai, Annamayya, YSR Kadapa, Chittoor and Tirupati districts, as well as parts of southern Karnataka. The variety is a long-standing performer in the semi-arid Anantapur belt and has been used as the comparison standard against which newer Spanish-bunch releases (including Kadiri Lepakshi K-1812) are judged. In published AICRP trial reports, Kadiri Lepakshi recorded 43% higher pod yield than the Kadiri Harithandhra check, indicating Harithandhra's role as a known, reliable baseline.

Pests, diseases and management

Kadiri Harithandhra has field tolerance to both early (Cercospora arachidicola) and late (Cercosporidium personatum) leaf spot. In years of severe disease pressure, ICAR-DGR Junagadh and AICRP-Groundnut still recommend the standard fungicide schedule - mancozeb 0.25% or carbendazim 0.1% at 30 and 45 DAS; hexaconazole 0.1% or tebuconazole+trifloxystrobin where late leaf spot is heavy. Jassid (Empoasca kerri) is reported as a sucking pest where Harithandhra is grown - need-based imidacloprid 17.8 SL 0.3 ml/L or dimethoate 30 EC 0.03%. Stem rot is managed with Trichoderma seed treatment (8 g/kg) and gypsum 500 kg/ha at peg initiation.

Usage and adoption

Seed rate 110-125 kg/ha (kernels) at 30 x 10 cm; fertiliser 20:40:50 kg NPK/ha + gypsum at flowering. Because it is part of the ANGRAU breeder-seed chain, certified seed is available through APSSDC and AP Seeds in Anantapuramu, Hindupur and Kadiri. Beyond direct farmer use, Harithandhra remains important as a research benchmark: ANGRAU release proposals and AICRP-Groundnut zonal-trial reports continue to express percentage gains over Harithandhra as evidence of progress.

See also: Groundnut Crop, Kadiri 6 Groundnut, Kadiri Lepakshi 1812, Kadiri Amaravati, Tikka Leaf Spot Groundnut.

Sources

  1. Groundnut variety list - ANGRAU. ANGRAU.
  2. Kadiri Lepakshi K-1812 - high yielding multiple resistant Spanish bunch. ANGRAU / ICAR-DGR.