Forage crop intensification in rice based system for forage supply during lean period under rainfed condition.

摘要

A field experiment was conducted to study the forage crop intensification in rice-based system for forage supply during lean period under rainfed condition, during the pre-kharif, kharif and rabi season of 2006-07 in the AICRP on Forage Crops, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India. The experiment consisted of two pre-kharif fodder crops (cowpea and rice bean), kharif crop (rice) and rabi crop (grass pea) in 8 cropping sequence and laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. The crop varieties consisted of EC-4216 (cowpea), K-1 (rice bean), Lalat (paddy) and Rattan (grass pea). Results showed that cowpea as a pre-paddy fodder crop produced higher green fodder (16.3 tonnes/ha), dry matter yield (DMY) (3.3 tonnes/ha) and crude protein yield (CPY) (0.7 tonnes/ha) as compared to that of rice bean (GFY 14.8 tonnes/ha, DMY 3.0 tonnes/ha and CPY 0.4 tonnes/ha). The yield attributing characters and yield of kharif rice was influenced by the pre-paddy crop. Cowpea-rice-Lathyrus (Pyra) had produced the highest Rice Equivalent Yield (REY) of 13.0 tonnes/ha, net monetary returns (Rs. 39 042 ha/year) and return per rupee invested (2.96), closely followed by cowpea-rice-Lathyrus (behind plough). The energy output input ratio (EOIR) and energy efficiency was higher in cowpea-rice-Lathyrus (Pyra) sequence (EOIR 11.52 and energy efficiency 10.99) which was superior over other sequence, specifically sole crop of rice (EOIR 11.52 and energy efficiency 8.77) and rice-Lathyrus (EOIR 12.87 and energy efficiency 8.77).