The performance of 192 groundnut lines selected following trait-based and empirical selection approaches was evaluated in Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India, during 2000 rainy season and 2000/01 post-rainy seasons. In 2000 under irrigated conditions, the genetic variation for kernel yield, harvest index (HI), transpiration efficiency (TE) and transpiration were highly significant. The top 20 genotypes (kernel yield basis) consisted of 11 trait-based and 9 empirical selections. The variation between the genotypes and the parent with the best parent (ICGS 76) was not significant for all traits except transpiration, for which 4 genotypes showed superiority over ICGS 76. Under rainfed conditions, the top 20 genotypes consisted of 12 trait-based and 8 empirical selections. The variation between these genotypes and ICGS 76 was not significant except for TE, for which 4 genotypes were inferior to ICGS 76. In 2000/01 under irrigated conditions, the 20 top genotypes were not superior to ICGS 76 for all traits except HI, for which 7 genotypes (3 trait-based and 4 empirical selections) were superior to ICGS 76. Under mid-season drought conditions (irrigation was withheld from 40 to 80 days after sowing), the top 20 genotypes (12 trait-based and 8 empirical selections) did not significantly vary from ICGS 76 for all traits except HI, for which 7 genotypes showed superiority. Under all conditions, no selection method showed superiority in the selection of genotypes for kernel yield, HI, TE and transpiration. The combined analysis over all experiments indicated that 3 trait-based selections and one empirical selection for HI, and one trait-based genotype for transpiration showed significant gains ever ICGS 7
