Peanut water-use efficiency influenced by different planting patterns

This paper reports on water-use efficiency and yield of peanut in a single- or in·a twin- row planting pattern. Carbon dioxide flux, evapotranspiration, water-use efficiency measurements were made continuously using the eddy-covariance method along with yield of single- and twin-row peanuts. The two-year study took place in contrasting weather conditions with the 2016 year experiencing a higher vapor pressure deficit and lower precipitation than in the 2018 year. In 2016, the early canopy closure of the twin-row crop resulted in a greater water- use efficiency by 27% early in the season. In 2018, a year marked with high precipitation and low vapor pressure deficit, the water-use efficiency of twin-row planting peanuts was greater than 9% in single-row in the mid and late growth stages. The twin-row peanut yield was greater than single-row in 2018. These results suggest that in optimum weather conditions, greater WUE of twin-row peanuts could be one of the reasons for its greater yield as compared to single-row peanuts.