Livestock sector has become very important component of agriculture sector in the world due to variety of dairy and meat products and high income to the farmers. In Pakistan, this vast resource faces many crucial challenges like low quality and high priced feed and fodder and limited chances of increasing area under fodders due to competition for food crops. Intercropping (33%, 50% and 67%) of Panicum maximum grass and legumes (Vicia sativa and cowpeas) coupled with inoculation was studied under rainfed conditions at National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) Islamabad, Pakistan. Intercropping significantly increased tillering of grass. Seed inoculation of legumes also gave maximum tillers. The grass and legumes biomass without any treatment were recorded as 7.09 and -1 8.17 t ha , respectively, during two years of study. Mixed fodder -1 production increased to 11.62, 13.6 and 14.13 t ha with 33%, 50% and 67% intercropping, respectively. Respective values of biomass were -1 observed as 13.18, 13.70 and 17.87 t ha when combined with inoculation. Intercropping of grass and legumes 67% with inoculation was assessed as the best treatment. The increases were computed as 304%, 230%, 132%, and 60% over grass alone in the first, second, third and fourth crops while respective increases were 101%, 151%, 165% and 74% over monoculture legumes.
Articles · Volume 28, Issue 2, 31 March 2018 · Open Access
INOCULATION AND INTER-CROPPING OF LEGUMES IN ESTABLISHED GRASS FOR INCREASING BIOMASS OF FODDER
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Affiliations & Notes ⌄
- 1* Land Resources Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre, Park Road, Islamabad, Pakistan. ** Water Research and Development, Qatar Shell Research and Technology, Doha, Qatar. *** Department of Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Organic Agriculture, University of Kassel, Witzen hausen, Germany. **** Department of Agronomy, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan Corresponding author: arshad_pak786@yahoo.com
Article Info ⌄
- Journal:
- Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research
- Published:
- 31 March 2018

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