RESPONSE OF GUINEA GRASS (PANICUM MAXIMUM JACQ.)-LEGUMES INTERCROPPING TO WEED CONTROL
S. N. RAM
Grassland and Silvopasture Management Division,
Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute,
Jhansi- 284003 (Uttar Pradesh), India
*(e-mail: ramshivnath@yahoo.com)
(Received : 31 March 2015; Accepted : 11 May 2015)
SUMMARY
A field experiment was conducted 2006-2011 on sandy loam soil at Central Research Farm of Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi to find out the response of Guinea grass-legumes intercropping to weed control in semiarid rainfed conditions. Intercropping of Stylosanthes seabrana with Guinea grass produced significantly higher total green and dry forage yields (25.10 and 6.68 t/ha) than Clitoria ternatea (19.10 and 5.41 t/ha), Macroptillium atropurpureum (20.17 and 5.60 t/ha) and S. hamata (23.36 and 6.29 t/ha). Intercropping of S. seabrana with Guinea grass also resulted in significantly higher total crude protein yield (582.0 kg/ha) as compared to C. ternatea (457.7 kg/ha) and M. atropurpureum (474.9 kg/ha). In weed management practices, hand weeding 35 days after sowing in 1st year and 25 days after onset of monsoon rain from 2nd year onwards recorded significantly higher green forage, dry forage and crude protein yields of both Guinea grass (16.48 and 5.02 t/ha and 344.0 kg/ha) and legumes (9.05 and 2.0 t/ha and 271.8 kg/ha) than weedy check, pre-emergence application of pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i./ha and weeding with weeder cum mulcher. Intercropping of S. seabrana with Guinea grass also resulted in significant improvement in organic carbon (0.48%) and available nitrogen (228 kg/ha) than C. ternatea and M. atropurpureum. Available nitrogen (226.2 kg/ha), phosphorus (9.91 kg/ha) and potash (195.8 kg/ha) were also significantly increased in hand weeding plots than weedy check (211.3, 9.05 and 179.1 kg/ha).
Key words:Clitoria ternatea, Forage yield and quality, Intercropping, Macroptillium atropurpureum, Panicum maximum, Soil nutrients status, Stylosanthes hamata, S. seabrana, Weed control