PERFORMANCE OF FORAGE PEARLMILLET UNDER NITROGEN AND CUTTING MANAGEMENT
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Date
2022
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Dr.RPCAU, Pusa
Abstract
A field experiment was carried in the Kharif season of year 2020-2021 at Pusa Farm, Dr. R.P.C.A.U. Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, to investigate the ―PERFORMANCE OF FORAGE PEARLMILLET UNDER NITROGEN AND CUTTING MANAGEMENT”. The main aim of the research was to study the effect of nitrogen and cutting management on yield and yield attributes, quality parameters and economics of forage pearlmillet varieties. Split plot design was layed, experimental material consisted of 4 pearlmillet varieties, namely TSFB 15-4, TSFB 15-8, MOTI BAJRA and BAIF BAJRA-1as the main plot. The sub plots consisted of two factors, one being the levels of nitrogen at 80 kg/ha and 120 kg/ha, while the other factor was cutting management- two cut and three cut management system. The soil belonged to the sandy loam textural class with the percentage of sand, silt and clay 57.74%, 27.86% and 14.40% respectively. While organic carbon was reported as 0.41 %, available nitrogen came out 196.7 kg/ha , available phosphorus was found 20.05 kg/ha , available potassium was 119.6 kg/ha , pH was estimated 8.34 whereas EC was 0.33 dS/m. The growth parameters taken into consideration were plant height (cm), number of tillers per row length, number of leaves per plant and leaf: stem ratio of the plants. Quality attributes consisted of total CPC (%) and its yield (q/ha), ash content (%) and its yield (q/ha) and content of NPK uptake (kg/ha). Besides this, green forage yield (t/ha) and dry matter yield (t/ha) were estimated and then the total cost of cultivation, gross returns, net returns and B:C ratio was calculated using all the available data. The observations were recorded separately for first cut, second and third cut and then the interaction effects of nitrogen and cutting managements on the parameters were observed. The growth studies showed significant variations among varieties with varying nitrogen and cutting managements. BAIF BAJRA-1showed a maximum plant height which was statistically at par with MOTI BAJRA and TSFB 15-8 whereas TSFB 15-4 had the minimum plant height. In all the cuts, maximum plant height was obtained when nitrogen was applied at 120 kg/ha, with maximum plant height observed in the first cut, followed by second and third cut. In general the two cut management gave better plant height as compared to the three cut management. Quality traits were maximum in MOTI BAJRA in first cut. The NPK uptake was affected in the sub-plots with different varieties where maximum Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium uptake was worked out in MOTI BAJRA and BAIF BAJRA-1. NPK uptake and ash content values were greater in two cut and crude protein values were more in the three cut management. Green fodder yield and dry matter yield of BAIF BAJRA-1 was highest among all varieties. These yield parameters were higher in the two cut management practice and at application of 120 kg/ha N. Although the total cost of cultivation remained same for all the varieties, BAIF BAJRA-1 excelled other varieties in terms of gross returns, net returns and B:C ratio, closely followed by MOTI BAJRA. Minimum cost of cultivation, highest net returns and thus highest B:C ratio were however incurred by the two cut management practice. The interactions of nitrogen levels and different cutting managements were found to be non-significant.