A mathematical approach to comprehensive evaluation of quality in groundnut

Various chemical and physical traits that govern the quality of shelled groundnut were identified. The important physical traits put together were assigned a total of 100 points and likewise the important chemical traits were assigned a total of 100 points. Further allocation of points to individual traits was made on the basis of the extent to which each influences the market value of the groundnut. A mathematical formula was also devised for calculating the points attainable by each trait on the basis of analytical values of that trait. The mathematical model so developed was applied for determining the relative worth of three groundnut cultivars. The exercise brought to the fore the feasibility of applying a mathematical approach to comprehensive evaluation of groundnut samples emanating from breeding trials/commercial consignments. The importance of the proposed model lies in its logical integration of various quality parameters to arrive at a numerical value to facilitate proper grading of samples for their quality.