Description

M.P. Chari is the most important cereal fodder crop grown in summer/ rainy season and gaining more popularity in India because of its high yield. Covering the maximum cultivated area among fodder crops, sorghum is grown in all parts of the country except the cool hilly areas. It has high tolerance to drought and excessive rain fall. There are single, two multicut varieties/ hybrids of sorghum giving one to six cuts per crop producing 50-100 tonnes of green fodder/ hectare. To avoid prussic acid or cyanide toxicity to livestock, the crop should be harvested at about 50% flowering or after irrigation at the preflowering stage. The crop is also useful for hay and silage making.

Cultivate such variety of Jowar in Jayad which has very low HCN ( a poison) content and can be cut many times.

M.P. Chari is suitable variety for it.

Land

Land of good drainage capacity such as Loam, sandy loam clay is suitable for it.

Preparation of Land
Land is prepared by 1-2 ploughing followed by 2 cross wise harrowing for leveling of land.

Sowing Time
It should be sown from 365 days.

Seed Rate

20 kg seed per Acre.

Sowing Method

Often it is sown by spraying. Sowing should be carried out by drilling @row-to-row distance of 25-30 cm behind the plough.

Fertilizer

Use fertilizer as per soil testing report. Use 30 kg nitrogen and 30 kg phosphorous t the time of sowing. After 1 month, spread 30 kg nitrogen in standing crop. After each harvesting, use 30 kg nitrogen again only after irrigation.

Weed Control
Use pre- emergence application of 1 kg. Atrazine dissolved in 600 liter water per hectare immediately after sowing. To overcome the problem of varu grass, adopt crop cycle.

Irrigation
The crop requires irrigation after every 8-12 days in pre-rain season.

Harvesting
First cut should be done after 50-60 days of sowing. The subsequent cut of the crop can be carried our after every 35-30 days. 4 cuts can be done up to September from the crop of Jowar sown in March

Yield
Yield of 200-250 quintal per hectare green fodder per harvest can be obtained.