Pooja Gupta Soni

Yield and Quality of Multicut Fodder Sorghum as Affected by Nutrient Levels and Biofertilizer Application

A field experiment was carried out to study the effect of nutrient level and biofertilizer on yield and quality of multicut fodder sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.). The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three multicut fodder sorghum varieties (CSH 20MF, CSH 24MF and CO(FS) 29) in the main plot and five levels of nutrients (Control, N90P40, N90P40 + BF, N60P40 + BF and N30P20 + biofertilizer (BF)) as subplot treatments with three replications. The higher green fodder yield was obtained with CO(FS)29 variety at N90P40 + BF nutrient level. Among the varieties, maximum DM contents (25.34%) and yield (212.76 q/ha) were obtained for variety CO(FS)29 while in respect to nutrient level, the highest DM content (24.74%) and yield (158.44 q/ha) were recorded with N90P40 + BF level of fertilization. The CP and EE level of three cuts was at par with respect to varieties while the maximum yield was found for variety CO(FS)29. The highest CP and EE content (8.37 and 2.37%, respectively) was obtained at N90P40 + BF. Total ash content was higher by 16.93 and 20.38, 62.68% and 56.15% in variety CO(FS)29 over CSH 24MF and CSH 20MF, respectively. Among nutrient levels, higher total ash (10.76%) was estimated at N90P40 + BF level. The total carbohydrate and cell soluble content was recorded highest in control and N90P40 + BF, respectively, While higher NDF and ADF content was estimated in CSH 20MF and CO(FS)29 variety, respectively over control treatment. CO (FS)29 was the most promising because of higher green fodder, dry matter and nutrient yield than CSH 20MF and CSH 24MF.

Fodder Yield and Quality of Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) Genotypes as Influenced by Salinity of Irrigation Water in North Western India

The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of irrigation water salinity and verieties on forage yield and quality of pearl millet in north western India. The experiment was conducted with four main-plot treatments consisting of levels of saline irrigation water i.e. normal (~0.6 dS/m) and 3, 6 and 9 dS/m irrigation water and two sub-plot treatments of pearl millet varieties i.e. AVKB-19 and ICMV-15111. The minimum DM content (15.71 and 16.68%), maximum CP content (9.26 and 7.48%) and (EE) (2.36 and 1.81%) was recorded at 1st cut and 2nd cut, respectively under good quality water. Among the genotypes, at 1st and 2nd cut, the maximum DM content (17.57 and 20.19%) was recorded in cv. ICMV-15111 compared to AVKB-19 (16.47 and 17.36%). In contrast, AVKB-19 recorded higher CP and EE level than ICMV-15111. Application of good quality water increased the DM yield by 23.34 and 13.69% and CP yield by 46.0 and 22.0% over irrigation water of EC 9.0 dS/m at 1st and 2nd cut, respectively. The cv. AVKB-19 gave higher DM (5.67 and 5.09 t/ha) and CP yield (1.42 and 1.25 q/ha) at the 1st and 2nd cut, respectively over ICMV-15111. The cv. AVKB-19 also recorded higher EE yield than ICMV-15111 at 1st cut while the reverse trend was observed at 2nd cut where ICMV-15111 which showed higher (P=0.05) EE yield over AVKB-19. The maximum NDF (66.35 and 70.64%) and ADF (36.50 and 39.89%) content was recorded with EC 9.0 dS/m at 1st and 2nd cut, respectively. The highest carbohydrate content was recorded with 9.0 dS/m EC water irrigation for 1st and 2nd cuts. Therefore, ABKV-19 genotype of pearl millet proved to be superior and might be adapted for getting higher fodder yield with better quality as compare to the ICMV 15111 under saline environment in north-western region of India.

Sorghum Fodder Production and Its Nutrient Composition under Different Residual Sodium Carbonate Levels in Irrigation Water

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of residual sodium carbonate (RSC) levels in irrigation water and their neutralization with gypsum/H2SO4 on sorghum during kharif season of the year 2013 in micro-plots. The experiment was conducted using randomised block design consisting of 5 treatments of different RSC levels [RSC-nil (control), RSC-5 meq/L, RSC-10 meq/L, RSC-10 meq/L (neutralized 5 meq/L with gypsum), RSC-10 meq/L (neutralized 5 meq/L with H2SO4)]. Increase in concentration of RSC in water from RSC 5 to 10 resulted in reduction in quality parameters like crude protein, yield but extent of reduction was lesser while using RSC water reclaimed with gypsum and sulphuric acid. DM, ash, NDF and ADF contents increased with increased concentration of RSC 5 to 10.