Among oilseed crops, groundnut holds first place in India. In Andhra Pradesh, it is grown in an area of 2.2 million ha with a production of 1.5 million tonnes and productivity of 842 kg/ha. Groundnut seed contains about 45 percent oil and 26 percent protein. It is a good source of B vitamin except for B_(12) and thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinic acid and vitamin E. In the Deccan Plateau, the ideal time for sowing rainfed groundnut is from the second week of July to the first week of August. Delay in sowing beyond the first week of August leads to lower yields (Table 1) as the crop faces drought at the pod filling stage.
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