RESUMO
Aims: To correlate the efficiency of herbicides towards control of Dodder (Cuscuta spp.) in green forage and seed yield of berseem crop.Study Design: Randomized block design (RBD).Place and Duration of Study: Research cum Instructional Farm, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur (C.G.) during the Rabi season of 2019-20.Methodology: The experiment consisted of three replications and ten treatments, in which oxyfluorfen was applied as pre-emergence herbicide and pendimethain was applied as pre-emergence and early post-emegence herbicide while imazethepyr, imazamox 35 % + imazethapyr 35 % (ready mix) and sodium acifluorfen 16.5 % + clodinafop-propargyl 8 % (ready mix) were applied as post-emergence herbicides in different proportion along with control.Results: No cuscuta infestation was observed during the experimentation period under any treatments (T1, T2, T3). Highest cuscuta length (41.20 cm), threads (3.00/m2), and dry weight (0.49 g/m2) were recorded just before 1st cutting with treatment (T7). Just before 2nd cutting, the highest cuscuta length (46.32 cm), threads (4.00/m2), and dry weight (0.74 g/m2) were recorded with treatment (T5) and before 3rd cutting, the highest cuscuta length (53.11 cm), threads (5.00/m2), and dry weight (1.06 g/m2) recorded under control (T10). No cuscuta infestation after herbicide application in all treatments. The significantly highest total green forage and seed yield of 60.12 ton/ha and 0.35 ton/ha were recorded under the pre-emergence application of oxyfluorfen 250 g/ha (T3) as compared to the rest of the treatments.Conclusion: The selective action of oxyflourfen, pendimethalin, and imazethapyr on berseem and non-selective control of weeds, including cuscuta spp., resulted in minimal weed competition during critical growth stages. This created a favourable environment for berseem, leading to improved growth, yield quality, and overall crop productivity. The effective herbicidal treatments played a vital role in enhancing berseem yield.
RESUMO
The contribution of the livestock sector to the Indian Economy is 4.11% of its total GDP and it is nearly 25.6% for total agricultural GDP. Small and marginal farmers are mainly attached to the mixed farming of field crops and dairy animals. Farmers get regular income from their dairy unit and also use dairy animals as economic security. Though India comes under the highest livestock populated countries, the production of milk is lower than expected because of improper feeding quality. Through the last two decades, the demand and price of milk both increase gradually, and farmers are not getting that much profit because of their dependency on ready cattle food. The gross profit after the selling of milk is nearly equal to the feeding expenditure. For the use of paddy straw as dry fodder, the quality and quantity of milk production are decreased. So, green fodder is the best option for livestock as it contains adequate nutrients as well as crude fibre. Among the fodder and forage crops, berseem is the second maximum cultivated fodder crop which possesses a 2 million ha area of fodder crops in India. There are several advantages of berseem as a fodder crop such as a short-duration crop, multi-cut nature, the capability of higher biomass production, the presence of a good amount of crude protein, cellulose, total digestible nutrients and succulent nature. Though Phosphorus and zinc play an antagonistic effect on each other, both are required for the growth and development of berseem crops. From cellular respiration to enzymatic reactions, phosphorus is essential for completing several metabolic activities. Zinc is related to yield and fodder quality by completing plant metabolisms like carbohydrates and auxin production. Adequate management practice is required to maintain the concentration of both nutrients at an optimum level. In Indian soil, zinc is deficient and phosphorus is mostly present in organic form. So, the use of biofertilizers will be effective to convert those complex nutrients form into simple and available for the plant.