Growth, Productivity and Profitability of Fodder Sorghum and Cluster Bean as Influenced by Mixed Cropping and Nutrient Management

Abstract

Background: The year round green forage supply for better health and productivity of the animals can be ensured by mixed cropping of cereal and legume forages along with proper nutrient management. Keeping these facts in mind an experiment was carried out to analyse growth, productivity and profitability of fodder sorghum and clusterbean as influenced by mixed cropping and nutrient management. Methods: Experiment was laid out in factorial randomized complete block design with four seed rate combinations of sorghum and clusterbean (S1 - sole sorghum, S2 - sole clusterbean, S3 - 75% sorghum + 25% clusterbean and S4 - 60% sorghum + 40% clusterbean) along with six nutrient management treatments (N1 - 100% RDF, N2 - 100% RDF + PGPR, N3 - 100% RDF + seaweed extract, N4 - 75% RDF + PGPR, N5 - 75% RDF + seaweed extract and N6 – 50% RDF + PGPR + seaweed extract) in three replications. The growth of crops was evaluated in terms of plant height, leaf length, leaf width, number of leaves, leaf stem ratio and stem girth which all together contributed towards the fodder yield. Results: In sorghum crop the growth was not statistically different between the treatments S1 and S3 but in clusterbean sole crop recorded higher growth yet the influence was not significant on all parameters. Among nutrient management N1, N2 and N3 treatments recorded higher growth and thus yield in both crops which was not statistically different from N5 treatment. The correlation study indicated that cumulative influence of these growth parameters resulted in higher green and dry fodder yield under sole crop. Whereas in mixed cropping S3 treatment recorded significantly at par fodder yield to S1. The evidence presented above shows that 75% sorghum + 25% clusterbean mixed cropping treatment with 75% RDF + seaweed extract served its purpose of fodder yield enhancement.

Microbes-mediated integrated nutrient management for improved rhizo-modulation, pigeonpea productivity, and soil bio-fertility in a semi-arid agro-ecology

“…The enhanced level of organic matter under organic treatments also played an important role in raising soil physical health (Nandapure et al, 2011), as is evident from the correlation matrix (Table 7) and the heat map analysis (Figure 2), which indicates a strong relationship between soil properties. Another reason for the improvement of soil physical properties under FYM + MI could be due to maintained soilplant-water relationship in a better way as a result of proper root development and soil aggregation (Kumar et al, 2015;Graham et al, 2017;Singh et al, 2020b;Bhakar et al, 2021;. Accordingly, soils managed with organic manure, along with MI, tend to have more stable soil aggregates in comparison to inorganic fertilizers and MI combinations (Babu et al, 2015).…”

“…The disruption of microbial diversity and, consequently, the bio-fertility, owing to the inappropriate nutrient management strategy, has become a concern for optimum soil health and plant growth (Fernández-Romero et al, 2016;Patra et al, 2016). In this context, the role of naturally abundant but functionally unexplored microorganisms, such as nitrogen fixing, phosphorus, and potash solubilizing microbial inoculants, along with their synergic integration with other organic sources of nutrients, such as bulky manures under a fertility augmentative legume crop, is crucial and offers a unique opportunity for balancing soil fertility, maintaining soil health, improving plant growth and profitable crop production in a sustainable way (Kumar et al, 2015;Gupta et al, 2020;Bhakar et al, 2021).…”

System productivity and economics as influenced by cropping system and nutrient management

“…Integrated use of 20 kg N + 5 tonnes farmyard manure/ha in clusterbean + sesame intercropping system was most productive, remunerative and sustainable with better resource-use efficiency in arid region (Meena et al 2009). Growing of 75% sorghum+25% guar as mixed cropping with 75% RDF + seaweed extract produced nutritionally enriched fodder yield and profitable income (Bhakar et al 2020). The benefit-cost ratio calculated significantly higher under the nutrient-management practice of 50% RDN + 50% N-FYM + BF (2.07) over RDN (1.94) and control (1.77) but statistically at par with 50% RDN + 50% N-FYM (2.02).…”

Enhancing root traits and quality of sorghum and guar through mixed cropping and nutrient management

“…It was concluded that growing of 75% sorghum + 25% guar mixed cropping with 75% RDF + seaweed extract produced most nutritionally enriched fodder in highest quantity and enriched the soil. Besides, this combination was economically profitable also (Bhakar et al 2020). Thus a portion of recommended dose of fertilizer could be substituted by organic sources of nutrients like PGPR and seaweed extract which had positive influence on root growth, yield and nutritional composition of both the fodder crops.…”