STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF MOISTURE STRESS AT DIFFERENT GROWTH PHASES ON SEED VIGOR, VIABILITY AND STORABILITY IN PEANUT (ARACHIS-HYPOGAEA L)

Studies were conducted on the influence of moisture stress at differen t growth phases, either alone or in combination, on seed yield, qualit y and longevity in groundnut, at Agricultural College and Research Ins titute, Coimbatore. Ar the end of each growth phase, irrespective of a vailable soil moisture, plots were irrigated with a measured quantity of water to a depth of 5 cm, sufficient to raise the soil moisture con tent of top 30 cm layer to field capacity. Plots which received stress were not irrigated in the respective growth phases. Moisture stress d uring the combined reproductive phases, viz. flowering + pegging and p egging + maturity, had a mitigating influence on growth and yield to a greater extent than stress at other phases. Though water deficit at d ifferent growth phases had no impact on viability and vigour of fresh seeds, it helped to enhance the longevity and the greater the stress t he better the storability. The conversion of oil into free fatty acids was least in seeds collected from stress. Membrane integrity as indic ated by electrical conductivity and leachate amino acids were also min imal in seeds from stressed plots.