Abstract

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important economic crop in Thailand; however, its yield per unit area remains relatively low. The integration of agricultural mechanization with appropriate planting configurations is therefore considered a promising approach to improve production efficiency. This study aimed to compare yield and yield components of peanut cultivar KU ARDA 20 grown using a tractor-mounted seed drill with two-row and three-row planting patterns on raised beds. The experiment was conducted during the rainy season of 2025 at the experimental field of Mae Ruay Agriculture (Koh-Kae) Co., Ltd., Sakon Nakhon Province, Thailand. A paired t-test design with five replications was employed. Data were collected on plant population per rai, fresh and dry pod yield, number of pods per plant, pod weight per plant, number of seeds per plant, seed weight per plant, and 100-seed weight. The results showed that the three-row planting pattern significantly increased plant population and number of pods per plant compared with the two-row system (P < 0.05), with mean values of 61,348 and 45,100 plants per rai, respectively. However, fresh pod yield, dry pod yield, and other yield components were not significantly different between the two planting patterns. with average fresh pod yields of 337 and 360 kg/rai and dry pod yields of 171 and 188 kg/rai. The absence of yield differences may be attributed to increased intra-specific competition under higher plant density, as well as the incidence of foliar diseases and stem and root rot during the experimental period. These findings indicate that increasing the number of planting rows can enhance plant population and certain yield components but does not necessarily result in higher yield per unit area. Therefore, proper crop management and disease control are essential to improve peanut productivity under mechanized planting systems.