SATPAL, B. GANGAIAH, N. KUMAR, S. DEVI, N. KHAROR, K. K. BHARDWAJ, P. KUMARI, D. S. PHOGAT AND NEELAM*
Forage Section, Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding,
Department of Botany & Plant Physiology,
Department of Soil Science and
Department of Agronomy
CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125 004 (Haryana), India
ICAR – Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad-500 030 (Telangana), India
*(e-mail : berkesia.neelam@gmail.com)
(Received : 01 September 2020; Accepted : 28 September 2020)
SUMMARY
A field experiment to assess the effect of different fertilizer levels on production, productivity, quality and economics of single cut forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] genotypes was conducted at Hisar (Haryana), India during kharif season of 2019. Nine forage sorghum cultivars (SPH 1890, SPH 1891, CSV 30F, CSV 32F, SH 1514, SHH 1513, HJ 513, HJ 541 and CSV 21F) were tested at three recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) i.e. 75, 100 and 125% RDF in factorial RBD with three replications. SHH 1513 cultivar being at par with SH 1514 and SPH 1890 recorded highest green fodder (GF) dry matter (DM), crude protein yield (CPY) and digestible dry matter yield (DDMY) and net income (531.5, 137.0, 14.24, 74.71 q/ha and 30938, respectively). Highest in-vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) content (56.40%) was observed in SPH 1891 which was on a par with SPH 1890. HCN content was below critical limit in all cultivars. Among RDF levels, significantly higher green, dry, CPY, DDMY, IVDMD and net income (511.6, 133.9, 13.85, 73.02 q/ha, 54.53% and 28080, respectively) were recorded with 125% RDF. Application of 125% RDF has brought an improvement of 18.8 and 8.74 per cent in GFY; 31.4 and 11.1 per cent in DFY; 37.7 and 14.7 per cent in CPY and 37.9 and 13.4 per cent in DDMY over 75% and 100% RDF, respectively. With increased fertilizer levels, the HCN content at 30 days after sowing increased from 75 to 103 µg/g on fresh weight basis but it was less than the critical limit. It is concluded that use of SC forage sorghum hybrids SH 1513, SH 1514 and SPH 1890 and application of 125% RDF was recommended for higher fodder yield, quality and income.
Key words:Sorghum, single-cut, fertilizer levels, fodder yield, HCN, crude protein and IVDMD