Track 2-6-2: Forests, Agroforestry and Wildlife towards Integrated, Productive Landscapes
Description
Homestead agroforestry system is the most common production system in Assam. It varies with the agroclimatic zones and economic condition of the farmers. In lower Brahmaputra valley zone, generation of employment under such system varies from 16.5 to 19.1% whereas in upper Brahmaputra valley zone, it ranges from 30.6 to 64.1%. For increasing forage productivity homestead garden can play a major role in augmenting fodder production for year round supply of green forage through non competitive land use system. There is scope for growing suitable perennial grasses like Guinea, setaria and Congo-signal for increasing fodder production. However research information on the performance of setaria and Guinea grasses are not available in Assam under tree shade. Through the performance of Guinea grass under tree shade has already been tested and found to be feasible for growing. On the other hand in Assam there are many plantation areas where Machilus bombicina King (Family Lauraceae) locally known as “Som” tree is grown. This is a very common tree for Munga silk worm rearing (Dutta, 1985) which is middle to big tree with spreading crown. Wood is hard and used as ordinary timber. It is a good fire wood and suitable for making charcoal. The present study was proposed to study the productivity and quality of two perennial grasses viz. Setaria and Congo-signal at varying levels of nitrogen under tree shade of Machilus bombicia.
Included in
Productivity of Perennial Grasses under Machillus bombicinii Tree in Assam
Homestead agroforestry system is the most common production system in Assam. It varies with the agroclimatic zones and economic condition of the farmers. In lower Brahmaputra valley zone, generation of employment under such system varies from 16.5 to 19.1% whereas in upper Brahmaputra valley zone, it ranges from 30.6 to 64.1%. For increasing forage productivity homestead garden can play a major role in augmenting fodder production for year round supply of green forage through non competitive land use system. There is scope for growing suitable perennial grasses like Guinea, setaria and Congo-signal for increasing fodder production. However research information on the performance of setaria and Guinea grasses are not available in Assam under tree shade. Through the performance of Guinea grass under tree shade has already been tested and found to be feasible for growing. On the other hand in Assam there are many plantation areas where Machilus bombicina King (Family Lauraceae) locally known as “Som” tree is grown. This is a very common tree for Munga silk worm rearing (Dutta, 1985) which is middle to big tree with spreading crown. Wood is hard and used as ordinary timber. It is a good fire wood and suitable for making charcoal. The present study was proposed to study the productivity and quality of two perennial grasses viz. Setaria and Congo-signal at varying levels of nitrogen under tree shade of Machilus bombicia.
