EFFECT OF DROUGHT ON OIL, FATTY-ACIDS AND PROTEIN CONTENTS OF GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS-HYPOGAEA L) SEEDS

The rainfed groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) crop suffers from moisture stress of varying intensity at different growth stages. The effect of drought on oil, protein and fatty acid contents were studied in 12 ge notypes that differed in seed quality traits. The genotypes were subje cted to mid-season and the end-of-season drought in field experiments at ICRISAT Asia Center (IAC), Patancheru, India, conducted during the 1991/92 and 1992/93 postrainy (November-April) seasons. Mid-season dro ught was imposed between 40 and 80 days after sowing (DAS). The crop r eceived normal irrigation, 50 mm at 10 day intervals, before and after the imposition of mid-season drought until harvest. Using the line-so urce sprinkler technique, end-of-season drought of varying intensity w as imposed from 80 DAS until harvest. Mid-season drought had no signif icant effect on the content of oil, protein and fatty acids other than eicosenoic fatty acid. End-of-season drought significantly reduced to tal oil, and linoleic and behenic fatty acid content, and significantl y increased total protein and stearic and oleic fatty acid content. Ho wever, genotype by treatment interactions were found. In ICGVs 88369, 88371, 88381, 88382 and 88403, total oil content remained unaffected w hile oleic fatty acid content increased under end-of-season drought. T hese were identified as desirable parents for a breeding program to de velop cultivars suitable for rainfed cultivation.