Abstract
The potential of groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) for the wet tropical coast of Queensland was evaluated at three sites. They were grown in the wet summer seasons of 1977 and 1978 and in the drier winter—spring season of 1978. 'White Spanish' was the highest yielding cultivar for both summer plantings; cultivar yield differences for these plantings were significant in both years. The highest pod yields, obtained in 1978, were 3697 kg ha-1 for 'White Spanish', 3214 kg ha-1 for 'Red Spanish' and 2130 kg ha-1 for 'Virginia Bunch'. Calcium (1162 kg ha-1) applied as lime significantly increased yields of 'Virginia Bunch' and 'White Spanish' but had no effect on the yield of 'Red Spanish'; the cultivar x lime interaction was significant. Yields were increased significantly at the higher planting densities compared with the lower planting densities for both years. 'Red Spanish' (mean pod yield, 2340 kg ha-1) was planted in the 1978 winter-spring period. There were no significant differences between any of the irrigation or lime treatments. 'Red Spanish' is the recommended commercial cultivar for summer planting at a rate of 170 000-210 000 plants ha-1 Commercial plantings are not recommended for the winter-spring season, although experimental breeding line multiplication would be feasible if wet weather problems at harvest could be overcome by artificial drying of seed.