TAG-24 groundnut Photo: vasu at en.wikipedia 59.162.175.35 08:37, 13 April 2012 (UTC)vasudevarao.k · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source ↗

TAG-24 groundnut

TAG-24 (Trombay Akola Groundnut 24) is a Spanish-bunch groundnut variety developed jointly by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai and Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV), Akola through mutation breeding. Notified in 1991 for the central zone, it is one of the standard AICRP-Groundnut national check varieties against which newer entries are benchmarked, and is still grown commercially in Maharashtra, southern Madhya Pradesh and parts of northern Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Key characteristics

Breeder: BARC Mumbai with PDKV Akola
Type: Spanish bunch (erect)
Duration: 100-110 days (kharif), 105-115 days (rabi/summer)
Pod yield: 18-22 q/ha (rainfed), 25-30 q/ha (irrigated)
Shelling: 70-72 percent
Oil content: 48-50 percent
100-kernel weight: 36-40 g

The variety has a compact dark-green canopy, pink testa, two-seeded pods and uniform maturity. Its breeding origin in radiation-induced mutation gives it consistent agronomic traits and a tight pod-set window that suits mechanised harvest.

Cultivation zones

TAG-24 is notified for the central zone — Maharashtra (Vidarbha and Marathwada), southern Madhya Pradesh, parts of Gujarat and northern Karnataka. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana it is grown on a smaller scale in the Anantapur-Kurnool-Mahabubnagar belt, mainly where farmers want the early-maturing Spanish type for an extended-summer pattern. It performs well in well-drained light loams and shallow vertisols.

Pests, diseases and management

The variety is moderately susceptible to early and late leaf spot (see Tikka leaf spot in groundnut) and to bud necrosis virus, requiring the standard AICRP-Groundnut fungicide schedule of mancozeb 0.25 percent at 30 and 45 DAS followed by tebuconazole + trifloxystrobin at 60 DAS. Thrips control with imidacloprid 17.8 SL at 0.3 ml/L is needed during early vegetative stages in dry years to suppress vector activity. The compact canopy makes spray penetration easier than in spreading types.

Usage and adoption

Because of its consistent performance over decades, TAG-24 is retained as a national check in the AICRP-Groundnut testing programme — every new candidate variety is evaluated against it. Commercially it is favoured for confectionery and oil markets where uniform kernel size and high oil percentage attract buyer premium. Seed multiplication is handled by Mahabeej (Maharashtra State Seeds Corporation) and other state agencies; certified seed is available through Krishi Kendra outlets in the central-zone districts.

Sources

Notified groundnut varieties of India. ICAR-Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh.
AICRP on Groundnut - notified varieties catalogue. ICAR-DGR.