EFFECT OF NITROGEN AND ZINC ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF FODDER SORGHUM (SORGHUM BICOLOR (L.) MOENCH) VARIETIES

EFFECT OF NITROGEN AND ZINC ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF FODDER SORGHUM (SORGHUM BICOLOR (L.) MOENCH) VARIETIES

MITESH BHOYA, P.P. CHAUDHARI, C.H. RAVAL and P.K. BHATT

Directorate of Research,

S.D. Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar -385506 (Gujarat)

(Email: pratikraj2009@gmail.com)

(Received: 14 August 2013 ; Accepted: 25 September)

SUMMARY

A field experiment was conducted on loamy sand soil of the Agronomy Instructional Farm, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar to study the, effect of nitrogen and zinc on yield and quality of fodder sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) varieties during summer season of 2011. Eighteen treatment combinations consisting of two varieties, viz., GFS 4 and GFS 5; three levels of nitrogen viz., 40, 80 and 120 kg N ha-1 and three levels of zinc viz., 0, 2 and 4 kg Zn ha-1 were tried in factorial randomized block design with three replications. The results indicated that among the variety of fodder sorghum, GFS 5 performed better in respect to green forage (257 q ha-1) as well as dry matter (119 q ha-1) yield than variety GFS 4. The variety GFS 5 exhibited maximum crude protein, crude fiber, N and Zn content as well as its uptake. Application of 120 kg N ha-1 significantly increased green forage (262.44 q ha-1) as well as dry matter yields (120.28 q ha-1) and enhanced the crude protein, crude fibre content as well as uptake of N and Zn over 40 and 80 kg N ha-1 .Application of zinc @ 4 kg Zn ha-1 was found significantly superior and produced highest green forage (254 q ha-1) and dry matter yield (120 q ha-1) than 2 kg Zn ha-1. Crude protein as well as content and uptake of N and Zn also found maximum with 4 kg Zn ha-1.

Keywords:  Fodder sorghum, Nitrogen, Varieties and Zinc.

39(1) 24-26