PRODUCTION POTENTIAL OF MULTICUT SORGHUM AND PEARL MILLET HYBRIDS UNDER INTERCROPPING SYSTEMS – A REVIEW

MANPREET SINGH BRAR* AND NAVEEN KUMAR
Department of Agronomy
Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004 (Punjab), India
Department of Agronomy, Forages and Grassland Management
Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya
Palampur-176062 (Himachal Pradesh), India
*(e-mail : msbrarbrar@gmail.com)
(Received : 24 September 2020; Accepted : 30 December 2020)

SUMMARY

In India and in the hilly regions, crop residues, cultivated forages, pastures and grasslands are the main sources of livestock feed, but inadequate availability of qualitative feed and fodder adversely affects livestock productivity. Although, shortage of animal feed and fodder is a major issue that needs to be addressed but simultaneously quality of feed and forage cannot to be ignored. Green forage availability is very important to maintain livestock health and productivity and this is particularly essential in dairy entrepreneurship where consistent and regular supply of green fodder is imperative to sustain the milk production. Green herbage in addition to energy also provides vitamins, minerals with better dry matter digestibility. Good quality forage helps to meet out 90 per cent of energy and protein requirement of ruminants. In the country, farmer faces rapid inflation in the cost of animal feed. Feed accounts for 70 per cent of the cost of production and this can be brought down to 30-40 per cent, if sufficient quantity of quality forage is available. Sorghum and pearl millet are two of the tropical region’s gifted genera that provide food, feed, stove, and fuel for millions of poor farming families and their livestock. This paper reviews the literature on intercropping of sorghum and pearl millet hybrids along with other essential cereal legume mixture.

Key words:Feed, forage, intercropping, mixture, production

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