Constraints Faced by the Groundnut Farmers in Adoption of Sustainable Cultivation Practices in Groundnut

The present study was conducted to identify and analyze the constraints faced by groundnut growers in the adoption of sustainable cultivation practices in groundnut cultivation in Chittoor and Ananthapur districts of Andhra Pradesh during 2025–26. An ex-post facto research design was employed for the study. A total sample of 180 groundnut farmers was selected through multistage random sampling technique from six mandals and twelve villages of the selected districts. Primary data were collected using a pre-tested interview schedule. The identified constraints were categorized into technical, financial/economic, personal, support and services, agro-climatic, and marketing and processing constraints. The severity of constraints was analyzed using a three-point continuum and ranked based on mean scores. The findings revealed that among technical constraints, high weed intensity (Mean = 1.422) emerged as the most severe constraint followed by incidence of pests and diseases (1.150) and problematic soils (0.817). Under financial constraints, high wage rates (1.656) was perceived as the major constraint followed by high cost of seed material (1.200) and high cost of fertilizers and pesticides (1.172). In the category of personal constraints, lack of awareness on sustainable cultivation practices (0.883) ranked first, followed by unwillingness of farmers to take risk (0.833). Regarding support and services, inadequate supply of high yielding quality seed material (1.005) and inadequate availability of manures and bio-fertilizers (1.000) were the major constraints. Among agro-climatic constraints, untimely rains (1.194) and drought at critical stages of crop growth (1.050) were identified as the most serious problems affecting sustainable cultivation. In marketing and processing constraints, lack of information about prices and markets (1.022) and exploitation by market intermediaries and local dealers (0.950) were perceived as the major issues by the respondents. The study concluded that groundnut farmers faced multifaceted constraints in adopting sustainable cultivation practices, particularly related to labour costs, weed management, climate variability, inadequate quality inputs, lack of technical awareness, and marketing inefficiencies. Strengthening extension services, ensuring timely availability of quality inputs, promoting climate-resilient technologies, improving market intelligence systems, and enhancing institutional support mechanisms may significantly improve the adoption of sustainable groundnut cultivation practices among farmers.

Srividya Rani N*1, T. Lakshmi2 and P. V. Sathya Gopal3 Click here to download file

Research Article | Published online : 16-May-2026