Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) cultivation in ravines affected area with organic farming for nutritional grains production in Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

The experiment was undertaken during two consecutive years in rainy season of 2009-10 and 2010-11 under ravines affected area of pilot village of Kanharpura, Jalaun, U.P. The experiment was conducted under “Farmers Participatory Action Research Project on Water/Water Harvesting Scheme” funded by Central Water Commission, New Delhi. The main objective was to utilize the reclaimed ravinous affected land in production of Coarse Nutritive grains of sorghum for poor families of degraded land of Bundelkhand (U.P.). The pilot soil was parwa (sandy loam), having poor status of plant nutrients. Three treatments i.e. compost 200 qt + mustard cake 100 kg/ha, compost 200 qt. + neem  cake 100 kg/ha and compost 200 qt. + caster cake 100 kg/ha were  tested under natural farming. The sorghum was planted at spacing of 45 cm x 15 cm in the end of first fortnight of July and harvested after 100 DAP on 24 October during two experimental years. Cultivar CSH-14 was selected for ravines affected area and planted. The application of compost 200 qt. + mustard cake 100 kg/ha gave highest grains yield by 29.50 qt/ha, closely followed by compost 200 qt + neem cake 100 kg/ha (29.10 q/ha). Compost 200 qt. + cater cake 100 kg/ha yielded lowest yield by 28.95 q/ha. The maximum yield of dry fodder was recorded under compost 200 qt + mustard cake 100 kg/ha by 95.00 q/ha. The application of compost 200 qt + neem cake 100 kg/ha and compost 200 qt + caster cake 100 kg/ha produced at par fodder yield by 93.70 q/ha and 93.00 q/ha, respectively. The growth and yield traits were commensurable to the grain yield of sorghum