KAPURTHALA, Dec 1— With summer maize rapidly expanding outside the monsoon months, agricultural scientists in Kapurthala are turning to spring groundnut as a water-efficient replacement. The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), supported by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), will scale up its spring groundnut demonstrations for the third year starting next February.
KVK officials said the idea began as an experiment to grow groundnut—generally a kharif crop—during the spring window to counter the high irrigation needs of maize. “We motivated about 12 progressive farmers across Kapurthala in 2023, and the outcome over two seasons has been strong,” KVK head Harinder Singh said. He added that the crop performs well in Punjab’s sandy soils.
The trials use PAU’s J-87 variety, which takes a little over 100 days to mature. Farmers involved in the project said returns can exceed ₹1 lakh an acre, drawing interest from private buyers.
Jarnail Singh from Kamalpur Mothanwala, once a major spring maize grower, said his first attempt with groundnut convinced him to scale up. “I got 2.90 quintals from a kanal. That was enough proof. I’m shifting 15 acres this season because maize demands too much water—nearly 18–20 irrigations,” he said.
Agriculture experts said spring maize is largely pushed by the silage industry and not meant for grain. The Punjab government does not recommend the crop, and it lacks MSP support. While official acreage is not recorded, field studies show summer maize rose from 32,000 hectares in 2021 to almost 50,000 in 2022, with this year’s spring sowing estimated at around 3 lakh hectares.
Farmers said groundnut machinery is available and seed can be saved, making it more economical than hybrid maize. Yet, many pointed to gaps in marketing.
Narinderjit Singh of Sardarwala said his first season with groundnut was smooth. “The crop is easy to manage and profitable, but buyers are limited, mostly in Jalandhar. If purchase is assured, more farmers will shift,” he said.
