ALL INDIA COORDINATED PROJECT

FOR RESEARCH ON FORAGE CROPS

 

ANNUAL GROUP MEETING ON RABI FORAGES

 

            All India Coordinated Project for Research on forage crops' (Rabi) Annual Group Meeting Group Meeting was held during  12th to 14th September, 2005 at Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner.  The  Annual Group Meeting was inaugurated by Dr. Parmatma Singh, Vice Chancellor, RAU, Bikaner.  About 100 participants from all over the country including Dr. P.S. Pathak, Director, IGFRI, Dr. S.N. Shukla, ADG(Crops) , Dr. M.P. Sahoo, Director Research, RAU, Bikaner,  Senior Faculty Members, Deans, Directors from the RAU and also from the ACRIP Centres  and ICRISAT participated.

 

            Some of the important recommendations of the workshop are as under-:

 

I.          Varieties identified:

 

Name of crop

Name of the variety

Area /Regions

Remarks 

Berseem

BL-180

North Western Plain and  North hill zone

BL 180 has been found to be promising due to its consistent superiority for green fodder, dry matter and seed yield over the check varieties.

Oat variety

JHO 99-1 (single cut)

North hill zone

JHO 99-1 has been found promising under single cut system  and found superior over the check varieties.  It is also moderately to resistant  against leaf blight.

OAT

RO-19 (multicut)

National level across the zones

RO-19 has been found promising under multi cut system  and found superior over the check varieties at national level across the zones . This is also found  tolerant to leaf blight disease and suitable for multi cut system.

 

II.                  Breeders Seed Production:

 

            The indent for production of breeder seed of Rabi forage crops, viz., Oats, Berseem, Lucerne and Chinese cabbage during Rabi 2004-05 received from DAC was for the 24 varieties (8-varieties of Oats, 9-varieties of Berseem, 6-varieties of Lucerne and 1-variety of Chinese cabbage).  The total quantity indented was 240.95q  of seed against this, a total production of 404.45q breeder seed was produced which was more than about 70% of the indent.

 

III         Production Technology

 

a.                  Significantly higher net monetary return  was realized with the crop sequences like Guar (F)+ Pearl millet (F) - Oats - Cowpea (F) at Bikaner, Rice-Mustard-Groundnut at Kalyani, Pearl millet (F) - Oat - Maize (F) + Cowpea (F)at Jorhat. NB Hybrid + Cowpea/Lucerne at Anand, NB Hybrid (Perennial) at Vellayani and Coimbatore.

b.                  Berseem recorded significantly higher forage yield (990 q/ha) when sown with the seed rate of 40 kg/ha in standing rice crop with no tillage at Faizabad. 

c.                  At Ludhiana, application of Pendimathalln @ 1.25 kg a.i./ha PE recorded significantly higher weed control efficiency  in Shaftal crop with substantial reduction in Poa annua. 

 

IV        Plant Protection

           

A.                 The IPM modules in Lucerne for seed production has been standardized which consisted of :

 

1.                  Transplanting of marigold seedlings 0.5 m apart around and inner border one month after sowing.

2.                  Sowing of castor 3 m apart around and inner border at time of sowing.

3.                  Spraying of neem seed extract @ 5% + mancozeb @ 0.2% at the time of flowering.

4.                  Spraying of HNPV @ 250 LE/ha followed by mancozeb 0.2% (if necessary) at the appearance of more than 2 larvae/m2 of Helicoverpa/Spodoptera.

5.                  Spraying of neem seed extract @ 5%.

 

B.        IPM module for perennial lucerne forage production:

 

            The module consisted of  soil application of Fym @ 5t/ha + seed treatment with Trichoderma harvzianum @ 5 gm/kg + late winter and early summer spray of NSKE @ 5% + Dithane M-450.259. Kharif season spraying Deltamethrine 0.0075% and carbendazim.