Response of Sweet Sorghum to Subsoiling and Nitrogen Management in Mollisols of Himalayan Foothills
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Date
2024-03-01
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G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar-263145
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2011 and 2012 at Instructional Dairy Farm, Nagla, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, U. S. Nagar (Uttarakhand). The soil of experimental field was well drained and slightly silty clay loam in texture with pH 7.21. The available organic carbon was 0.72% and available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were 272.3, 29.0 and 236.1 kg/ha, respectively. The experiment consisted of four tillage options in main plot i.e. conventional tillage (CT), subsoiling (20 cm) fb rotavator x1 (SS fb R), subsoiling-cum-deep placement (40 cm) fb rotavator x1(DP fb R) and subsoiling-cum-differential rate placement of fertilizers (25 & 50 cm) fb rotavator x1(DRF fb R) and four nitrogen levels in sub plot i.e. control (zero nitrogen), 40, 80 and 120 kg/ha were laid out in split plot design with four replications. Sweet sorghum variety SPSSV-6 was sown on 07 June 2011 and 12 May 2012. Tillage and nitrogen levels had significant effect on growth, yield and quality parameters of sweet sorghum during both the years. In general, DRF fb R and 120 kg N/ha gave the highest values of growth, yield and quality parameters. DRF fb R produced 3.8, 11.2 and 23.7 % higher stalk yield as well as 6.3, 13.5 and 23.8% green fodder yield than DP fb R, SS fb R and CT, respectively. Similarly, DRF fb R gave on an average 22.2, 28.7 and 30.1% higher juice yield; 34.7, 45.3 and 47.6% higher sugar yield and 23.2, 41.7 and 45.1% higher ethanol yield than DP fb R, SS fb R and CT, respectively. The crude protein and HCN content was also recorded higher under DRF fb R but was non-significant with DP fb R, SS fb R and CT. Application of 120 kg N/ha resulted into 9.3, 20.3 and 28.3% higher green fodder yield, 13.2, 27.6 and 37.9% juice yield, 27.6, 59.0 and 76.3% sugar yield as well as 29.3, 57.8 and 62.8% ethanol yield than 80, 40 and control (0) kg/ha, respectively. The crude protein yield and HCN content were recorded significantly highest at 120 kg N/ha. The bulk density was recorded significantly lowest under DRF fb R, while it conserved significantly highest soil moisture but nitrogen levels didn’t affect both bulk density and soil moisture. Hence, it is concluded that sweet sorghum may be planted under differential rate placement of fertilizers P and K at 25 and 50 cm depth (DRF fb R) with application of 120 kg N/ha for higher growth, stalk, fodder, juice, sugar and ethanol production in Mollisols of Uttarakhand.
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