YIELD, NITROGEN UPTAKE, AVAILABLE SOIL NUTRIENTS AND ECONOMICS OF MULTICUT FODDER SORGHUM (SORGHUM SUDANENSE L.) TO DIFFERENT SEED RATES AND NITROGEN LEVELS
K. S. SOMASHEKAR, B. G. SHEKARA, K. N. KALYANA MURTHY, L. HARISH.
Department of Agronomy, UAS, GKVK, Bangalore-65
Department of Agricultural Extension, UAS, GKVK, Bangalore-65
( e-mail: somashekar.ks18@gmail.com )
(Received: 6 May 2014; Accepted: 7 June 2014)
SUMMARY
A field experiment was conducted at Zonal Agricultural Research Station, Visweswaraiah Canal Farm, Mandya (Karnataka) during kharif season of 2011, to study the yield, nitrogen uptake, available soil nutrients and economics of multicut fodder sorghum (Sorghum sudanense L.) to different seed rates and nitrogen levels under protective irrigated condition. The experiment consisted of 12 treatments were tested in randomized complete block design with factorial concept replicated three times. The mean of four cuts data indicated that seed rate of 7.5 kg ha-1 with the application of 30 kg N ha-1 recorded significantly higher green fodder yield (79.88 and 76.46 t ha-1 respectively),dry matter yield (18.51 and 17.04 t ha-1 respectively), nitrogen uptake (243.83 and 220.11 kg ha-1 respectively), net returns (Rs. 35018 and Rs. 31285 Rs. ha-1 respectively) and B:C ratio (2.40 and 2.20 respectively).
Key words: Fodder sorghum, green forage yield, dry matter yield, available nutrients