New research carried out in the Philippines has found that strategically timed irrigation combined with a super water absorbent can improve peanut productivity while substantially reducing water use in highly permeable, drought-prone soils. The study, published in Plant Growth Regulation, assessed peanut production in lahar-derived sandy loam soils and compared conventional irrigation with reduced-irrigation strategies designed to maintain water availability during critical stages of crop development.
The most effective treatment combined the water-absorbing material with irrigation at crop emergence and pod development. It produced 32.35 pods per plant, a pod yield of 2.17 metric tons per hectare and a seed yield of 1.35 MT per ha. Compared with conventional irrigation, pod and seed yields increased by 26.9% and 25.0%, respectively, while total irrigation input was reduced by 50%.
The authors concluded that the productivity gains were driven mainly by stronger reproductive development, particularly pod number and seed size, rather than by changes in vegetative growth. The findings highlight the potential for more targeted water management to improve irrigation efficiency and peanut productivity in areas where limited water availability and highly permeable soils constrain production.