Forage Production Potential and Nitrate Nitrogen in Napier Bajra Hybrid as Influenced by Nitrogen Dose under Shaded and Un-Shaded Environments

Forage Production Potential and Nitrate Nitrogen in Napier Bajra Hybrid as Influenced by Nitrogen Dose under Shaded and Un-Shaded Environments

Dairy farming is an important and prevalent subsidiary occupation along with agriculture in the state of Punjab. But because of declining land holding, the pressure on land is so high that there is little scope of expanding the area under forage crops. Crop intensification either in space (intercropping) or in time (sequential cropping) or both is the feasible option left to the farmers for enhancing the fodder production. The green fodder is deficit by about 25% in the state and there is around 65,000 ha area under Agroforestry. There is a need to explore possibility of growing fodder crops under shade of trees, as light intensity is one of the major growth resources that determine the productivity of a particular crop (Dodd et al., 2005). Data are also lacking about how fodder crops will respond to different amounts of N fertilization under shade conditions. Napier Bajra is an inter-specific hybrid between bajra (Pennisetum glaucum) and napier grass (P. purpureum) and combines high quality and faster growth of bajra with the deep root system of napier grass. It is photosensitive and flowers only in winter. Due to this characteristic, it remains in the vegetative stage throughout the year, except in winter, when it is dormant. With these points in mind, the present study was planned to find out the influence of shading in comparison with normal conditions on forage productivity and quality under varying nitrogen levels.