ORGANIC NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT REGIMES FOR MITIGATING SUCKING PESTS AND LEPIDOPTERAN DEFOLIATORS IN GROUNDNUT CULTIVATION WITHIN SEMIARID DEGRADED ZONES

Abstract

Rainfed Kharif groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivation in Namakkal district faces severe production constraints from intensifying soil degradation and heavy multi-species insect pest complexes. This field investigation evaluated distinct basal organic manures (farmyard manure, poultry manure) and liquid bio-inputs (Panchagavya, Fish Amino Acid [FAA], 3G extract) arranged in a Randomized Block Design to suppress destructive pests and maximize economic viability. Experimental results revealed that the combined application of Poultry Manure and foliar FAA (\(T_{6}\)) emerged as the statistically superior treatment configuration (\(p \leq 0.05\)). This eco-friendly module minimized seasonal infestation indices for thrips (2.53/3 leaves),leafhoppers (2.96/3 leaves), Spodoptera litura (4.79/3 leaves), Helicoverpa armigera (1.91%), and Aproaerema modicella (1.02%), achieving 55.1–77.0% reductions over the control. Consequently, \(T_{6}\) maximized groundnut pod yield to 2,480 kg/ha, generating a peak net profit of ₹1,36,000/ha and an outstanding BenefitCost Ratio of 3.18. This integrated matrix is strongly recommended for sustainable regional oilseed production.