PERFORMANCE OF COWPEA AND FODDER SORGHUM UNDER FODDER TREE BASED AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM
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Date
2021-12-01
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University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore
Abstract
The study entitled “Performance of cowpea and fodder sorghum under fodder tree based agroforestry system” was carried out at Agroforestry unit, ZARS, GKVK, Bengaluru during 2020-21. The experiment consisted of ten treatment combinations replicated four times under RCBD. Main plots consisted of fodder trees viz., Agase, Calliandra, Gliricidia, Moringa and Subabul. Whereas, sub lots consisted of fodder sorghum and fodder cowpea. The cowpea variety (KBC-9) was used @ 25 kg ha-1 . Whereas, fodder sorghum variety (COFS-31) was used @ 30 kg ha-1. These were sown as intercrops under different perennial fodder trees. The result showed that, highest green biomass production was recorded in Subabul (25.84 kg tree-1 annum-1) followed by Gliricidia (25.28 kg tree-1 annum-1) and less biomass production was recorded in Calliandra (8.48 kg tree-1 annum-1). The highest fodder sorghum yield was 2366 kg ha-1 and highest cowpea yield was 2217 kg ha-1. Among fodder trees, Moringa had highest
protein content of 20.16 per cent followed by Subabul was 18.87 per cent, Economics of fodder trees revealed that, the highest net returns was recorded in Agase (Rs. 21705 ha-1) followed by Subabul (Rs. 18553 ha-1). So, the best fodder trees that can be used for agroforestry system were Agase and Subabul. The net returns of cowpea (Rs. 22590 ha-1) and sorghum (Rs. 21273 ha-1) under Agase was found to be the highest. So, it was concluded that intercropping of fodder sorghum and cowpea with Agase would be better to get good growth and economics under agroforestry system.