AbstractTwenty six lines of groundnut (Arachis hypogaeaL.) of varying productivity were tested for yield under four treatments involving fungicidal control of rust and leafspots. Disease severity was measured at two stages of growth, namely 70 days (stage 1) and 90 days after sowing (stage 2). Instead of pod yield, a score (based on an Isd test and grouping over pod yield, shelling , 100‐kernel weight and residual green leaf area at stage 2) was used to define performance status of the lines. A study of various character combinations revealed the importance of residual green leaf area at both stages 1 and 2 in predicting the relative yield performance of lines. This result was obtained by comparing the agreement of the status of lines given by a particular character set with performance status and was confirmed by a multiple regression analysis of pod yield on all other traits. Seven lines and three progenitor parents showed stability of performance with respect to rust resistance. They included lines derived from crosses between the national check, ‘Robut 33—1’, as one parent and either a rust resistant genotype, NC Ac 17090 or an early Russian accession of (Spanish type) ‘Chico’, as the other. It was suggested that breeding programmes should take into account performance status based on yield and disease severity instead of pod
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