All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Groundnut is a continuing project that is funded by ICAR (75%) and Govt. of West Bengal (25%). The mission of this project is to conduct basic and strategic research to enhance production of groundnut and also to strengthen the groundnut growing community with the support of technical knowledge, skills, farm inputs; eventually to enhance farming efficiency of the farmers to increase their farm income. This project holds mandate trials round the year, covering Rabi-Summer and Kharif seasons on the aspects of Crop Improvement (Plant Breeding), Crop Production (Agronomy), as well as Crop Protection (Entomology and Plant Pathology). Apart from the mandated trials, this project also aids in organizing farmers’ training programmes, workshops, field surveys and front line demonstrations of new technologies etc. Initiated in 1994, the AICRP on Groundnut serves for the resource-poor groundnut-growing farmers from the districts of Nadia, North 24-Pgn., South 24-Pgs., Hooghly, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia and Jhargram, in the state of West Bengal.

AICRP on: Groundnut
Year of start/ establishment of the Project: 1994

• A working laboratory with laminar airflow,
• Autoclave,
• Soxlate apparatus,
• Seed germinator,
• Distillation unit.

• To conduct basic and strategic research to enhance production, productivity and quality of groundnut,
• Act as a working collection of groundnut germplasms and information on groundnut research,
• To establish pertinent institutional linkages,
• Offer scientific inputs, consultancy and training for resource-poor farmers

• Plant Breeding: 21 (Kharif) + 10 (Rabi/Summer)
• Plant Protection: 12 (Entomology) + 13 (Pathology)
• Agronomy: 19 (Kharif) + 14 (Rabi/Summer)
• Frontline Demonstrations: 100 (Kharif) + 236 (Rabi/Summer)

• Germplasms for short duration, high yielding and fresh seed dormancy have been identified and used as parent for crossing programme.
• Paclobutrazol as a growth retardant used in groundnut during Kharif and groundnut after potato, to reduce the excessive vegetative growth and dry matter partitioning.
• Increasing yield potential by introducing new high yielding varieties, seed treatment and use of bio-fertilizer to achieve good return.
• Ridge and furrow method of groundnut sowing was found beneficial with biodegradable mulching under rainfed situation.
• Expansion of Kharif area and exchanging of seeds from season to season and farmer to farmer to explore good marketing outlet and reducing seed cost and seed dependency.
• Promotion of groundnut cultivation through demonstration with Good agronomic practices in resource poor tribal farmers in rural West Bengal under Tribal Sub Plan.
• Technology dissemination through Front Line Demonstrations in farmers’ field, area and productivity enhancement of groundnut in West Bengal.