Feasibility studies on growing hybrid Bajra Napier fodder grass as intercrop in coconut under coastal littoral sandy soil
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Date
2007-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Indian Society for Plantation Crops
Abstract
Coconut is grown in coastal littoral sandy soil, which occurs all along the coastal sandy tract of the West and East coasts of the Peninsular India lying mostly in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Maharastra. Coastal littoral sandy soils are mainly skeletal soils, consisting of 99.1 per cent sand particle characterized by poor water holding capacity, high infiltration rate, easy leachability and low inherent fertility status. Even though coconut is a widely spaced crop, the interspace cannot be utilized for growing of intercrops in sandy soils under normal conditions. However, by adopting proper soil and moisture conservation measures intercropping can be practiced in the coconut garden under coastal sandy soil. Keeping this in mind, a field experiment was conducted to study the feasibility of growing bajra Napier fodder grass (Co 3) as intercrop in the coconut garden by adopting various soil and moisture conservation methods under coastal sandy soil at Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, Kerala during June 2004. The treatments included soil moisture conservation measures viz., one layer dried coconut husk burial in the trenches and planting of grass, coir pith application in the trenches and planting of grass and control (planting of grass with out any soil and water conservation measures). Among the treatments, one layer of dried coconut husk burial in the trenches and planting of grass, resulted in higher green fodder yield (96.83 tonnes/ha). The experimental results revealed that bajra Napier fodder grass (Co 3) can be successfully grown as intercrop in the coconut garden in coastal sandy soil by adopting suitable soil moisture conservation measures.
Description
Keywords
Coastal littoral sandy soil, coconut husk, coir pith, intercrop, fodder
Citation
Journal of Plantation Crops, 2007, 35 (1) : 19-22