TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED
In guinea grass + cowpea- berseem crop sequence application of 100% FYM produce significantly higher forage yield in comparison to inorganic fertilizer & combination of organic and inorganic sources. This also improved contents of organic carbon, available NPK and S in soil.
Under semi-arid rainfed conditions subabul + trispecific hybrid - sorghum (f) + pigeonpea (g) cropping sequence proved most suitable in terms of crop productivity and prolonging the fodder availability upto month of May.
Bajra (F) - mustard (G) cropping system was superior in producing green and dry matter yields as compared to sorghum + cowpea (F) - gram + mustard (G) systems in semi-arid rainfed conditions.
Application of nutrients through 75% organic+25% inorganic sources was effective in reducing the volatilization loss and gave higher green & dry matter yield of perennial grasses, annual forages and subabul.
The split application of 80 kg S /ha (40 kg each in kharif and rabi) is recommended for higher biomass, nutrient uptake and crude protein yield of napier bajra hybrid grass (NBH) + seasonal legumes (cowpea/berseem) intercropping.
The application of S (40kg) along with 20 kg Zn and 10 kg Mn/ha gave significantly higher yield of sorghum in comparison to NPK alone. This also improved fodder quality by decreasing content of NDF (70.9%), ADF (43.7%) and N: S ratio (8.19) and increasing content of crude protein (9.88%), in vitro digestibility, (47.7%) and nutrients content (N-1.58%, P-0.138%, S-0.193%, Zn-32 ppm, Mn-55 ppm, and Cu-14 ppm).
The total water requirement and water use efficiency of teosinte and Lucerne was determined. The maximum water use efficiency coincides with 2nd cut of the crop.
Sorghum + cowpea (F)- gram+ linseed (G) cropping system proved the best under rainfed conditions. Two harrowing in each season (conventional) + one deep summer ploughing produced maximum yields of green fodder (27.0 t/ha), dry matter (6.36 t/ha) and crude protein (0.637 t/ha).
In Bundelkhand region, for successful cropping adoption of short duration & drought tolerant crop varieties were recommended based on trend analysis of past 30 years, reflecting a decrease of 2.45 and 2.0 mm rainfall /year in annual and Kharif season, respectively.
Application of fly ash @ 50 t/ha increased the forage yield of sorghum + cowpea by 15 and 18% in red and black soils, respectively. An increase in green forage yield of berseem and oat was 40% and 25%, respectively when fly ash @ 100 t/ha was applied.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Development of forage production systems
Round the year fodder production :NB Hybrid + (Berseem + mustard -Cowpea ) - Green fodder -273.1 t/ha
Food -fodder production (Perennial ) :Pennisetum trispecific hybrid + subabul - sorghum (fodder) + pigeonpea (grain) -Green fodder -53.27 t/ha + Grain -0.41 t/ha
Food- fodder production (Annual) " Sorghum + cowpea (fodder) - gram + linseed (grain) - Green fodder - 33.83 t/ha
Pearl millet (fodder) - mustard (grain) - Green fodder - 39.51 t/ha
Standardization of agro-techniques of major cultivated forages
Sorghum, pearl millet, maize, cowpea, NB hybrid, guinea grass, oats, berseem, lucerne Resource Management Integrated nutrient management
Reduction of volatilization losses of ammonia through 25% urea - N + 50% FYM- N + biofertilizer to sorghum -berseem sequence. Use of Secondary nutrients & biofertlisers
S application is beneficial where removal is more viz. pasture legumes ( 6.5-16.9 kg/Kg S) than cultivated legumes ( 4.6-7.6 kg/kg S)
Biological N- fixation increased the fodder legume yield 14.6 to 46.4 % with reduction of 15-20 kg inorganic N/ha. Irrigation scheduling
Berseem, oat, maize, teosinte, sorghum, NB hybrid and cowpea:- irrigation at 75% available soil moisture (ASM) corresponding to 10-12 days irrigation interval
Lucerne, barley and guar - 50% ASM corresponding to 14-18 days irrigation interval. Production technology for problem soils
Soil and agronomic management for forage production in acid soils, salt affected soils, calcareous soils, waterlogged soils and soils suffering from physical impedance. Climate study and contingent crop planning
Short & drought tolerant crop varieties recommended based on trend analysis of 30 years, reflecting a decrease of 2.45 mm and 2.0 mm rainfall/year in annual and kharif season, respectively
