EFFECT OF DATE OF SOWING AND CUTTING INTERVALS ON GROWTH ATTRIBUTE AND YIELD OF LUCERNE [MEDICAGO SATIVA L.] UNDER NORTH GUJARAT AGRO-CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
AMIT KUMAR AND A. G. PATEL
Centre for Agroforestry, Forage Crops and Green Belt,
Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar-385 506
(Email: bishnoiamit766@gmail.com)
(Received: 2 October 2013; Accepted: 26 October 2013)
SUMMARY
An experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Instructional Farm, C. P. College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar during rabi season of 2011-12 to find out the optimum date of sowing and cutting interval for lucerne crop under north Gujarat agro-climatic conditions. The results of growth parameters indicated that significantly higher plant height was recorded by 10th November sowing and 30 days cutting interval after common cut in the mean values of all cuts. Similarly, the mean number of leaves per plant and mean leaf area per plant was significantly higher by sowing the crop on 10th November and 30 days cutting interval after common cut and it was followed by 20th November sowing and 30 days cutting interval. Whereas, significantly higher mean leaf: stem ratio was noted by 11th October sowing and 15 days cutting interval in the mean values of all cuts.
Key words: Growth attribute, leaf area, plant height, number of leaf, green forage yield, Lucerne