EFFECT OF DIFFERENT NITROGEN LEVELS ON PRODUCTIVITY OF
PERENNIAL GRASSES UNDER MID HILL CONDITION OF NAGALAND
T. GOHAIN* AND LIDENO T. KITHAN
Department of Agronomy
School of Agricultural Sciences and Rural Development,
Nagaland University, Campus-Medziphema, Nagaland-797106
*(e-mail : tankeswar1968@gmail.com)
(Received : 14 August 2014; Accepted : 26 September 2014)
SUMMARY
A field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2010 -11 to ascertain the effect of
different treatment combinations having four levels of nitrogen and three perennial grasses on productivity and quality parameters of green fodder production. N was applied at the rate of 0, 60, 80, 100 and 120 kgha-1. The three perennial grasses were Hybrid Napier, Congosignal and Setaria. Among the three perennial grasses, Congosignal resulted in highest number of tillers/tussock, leaf-stem ratio and percent dry matter content at all the three cuts in a year. It also resulted in highest green forage yield at all the three cuts (195.82, 238.18 and 258.00 q ha-1) respectively. Among the different N levels application of 120kgN ha-1 recorded in highest forage yield (168.36 q ha-1) at first cut. Green forage yield was highest with 120kgNha-1 which was at par with 80 and 100 kg Nha-1, but significantly superior over the lower dose of 0 and 60
kgNha-1, both at second and third cut respectively. The crude protein yield was found to be highest in 120 kg N ha-1 at all the three cuts. The N uptakes by plants at all the individual cuts were increased significantly with increasing levels of N.
Keywords : Nitrogen, Productivity, Perennial, Grasses