FODDER YIELD, QUALITY AND NUTRIENTS UPTAKE POTENTIAL OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SORGHUM (SORGHUM BICOLOR) VARIETIES IN CENTRAL GUJARAT
DIGVIJAY SINGH* AND AVINASH CHAUHAN**
Animal Nutrition Group
National Dairy Development Board,
Anand-388001 (Gujarat), India
*(e-mail : dsingh@nddb.coop; ** achauhan@nddb.coop )
(Received : 21 March 2017; Accepted : 16 May 2017)
SUMMARY
A study was conducted for two years to evaluate 15 sorghum varieties belonging to sweet sorghum, dual purpose and forage types, for green fodder yield, chemical & nutrients composition and nutrient uptake potential under double cut system at 75 days interval. The highest green fodder yield (71.28 t/ha) was observed in sweet sorghum variety CSH 22 SS which was found at par with forage varieties HC 308 and CSV 21F. Among forage varieties, HJ 513 recorded higher green fodder yield (69.48 t/ha). All the sorghum varieties were found at par amongst themselves on the basis of dry matter and crude protein yields. Significant differences were observed in sorghum varieties green fodder for variation in crude protein (4.32-7.08%), ether extract (1.32-2.53%), crude fibre (22.71-31.69), silica (2.9-4.1%) and dry matter (25.91-33.11%) content. Differences for nutrients composition were recorded significant in green fodder of sorghum varieties for nitrogen, potash, calcium, magnesium, copper and manganese minerals. However, nutrient uptake (kg/ha) by sorghum varieties was found significant for calcium and magnesium minerals only.
Key words: Fodder sorghum, sweet sorghum, forage sorghum, fodder yield, quality parameters, nutrient uptake, mineral content