STUDIES ON THE INTERCROPPING OF LEGUMES ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF FORAGE SWEET SORGHUM {Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]
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Date
2001-08-02
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UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES GKVK BANGALORE
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 1998
under rainfed conditions at Main Research Station, University of
Agricultural Science? Dharwad in Northern Transitional zone of Kamataka
to study the effect of intercropping of forage legumes i/iz., cowpea, field
bean, and horsegram with forage sweet sorghum in four row proportions
viz., 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 and 3:2, on green forage yield, quality, and monetary
returns. Experiment consisted of 16 treatments of sole and intercropping
combinations and was laidout in randomised complete block design with
three replications.
Significantly higher green forage yield was recorded in component
crop sorghum when it was intercropped with field bean at 2:1 row
proportion (52.64 t/ha) compared to sole sorghum (46.11 t/ha). Among
the sole and intercropped legumes, significantly higher green forage yield
was produced when horsegram was grown alone (20.56 t/ha). These yield
advantages are due to better growth and 3neld attributes.
Sorghum + field bean intercropping system at 2:1 row proportion
recorded significantly higher mixed green forage yield (59.50 t/ha), dry
matter yield (11.35 t/ha), land equivalent ratio (1.54) and yields of forage
quality parameters viz., crude protein (812 kg/ha), crude fibre (3820
kg/ha), ether extract (259 kg/ha), total ash (804 kg/ha), nitrogen free
extract (5665 kg/ha), total carbohydrates (9473lyha), and organic matter
(10545 ly ha) with net profit of Rs. 13571/ha and B:C ratio of 1.64. The
next best intercropping system was sorghum + cowpea at 2:1 row ratio
compared to sole and other intercropping combinations. Palatability was
higher in intercropping systems followed by sole sorghum. While it was
lower in sole legume crops.
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