Groundnut Dryland Farming Tradition of Chitradurga

Chitradurga district's semi-arid red laterite soil and 600mm annual rainfall make it a major groundnut-producing region in Karnataka. Farmers practise dryland groundnut cultivation using indigenous varieties adapted to drought stress — the bold-seeded Kadiri 3 and the local Bhoomisampige varieties are prized for their oil content and shelf life. Traditional planting on ridged beds after the first monsoon rain allows soil moisture conservation. Crop residue management — incorporating groundnut straw as green manure — maintains soil organic matter in the otherwise thin red soils. Chitradurga's groundnut farmers have developed collective post-harvest storage in traditional palla (stack storage) systems to wait out low market prices before selling.