Description

• Crop Production:

  1. Preparatory cultivation	:	Plough 2 to 3 times to obtain a good tilth and form ridges and furrows 50 cm apart.
  2. Manures and fertilizers	:	Basal
  		FYM         –           25 tonnes/ha
  		NPK          –           25 : 40 : 20 kg/ha
  3. Seed rate	:	10 Kg/Acer Seed Treatment: For better germination seeds must be treated in hot water at 80o C for 5 minutes and soak it in cold water over night and shade dry before sowing.
  4. Weed Management	:	First weeding at 25th DAS. Further weeding based on necessity.
  5. Plant protection	:	Generally not required
  6. Water management	:	Immediately after planting; life irrigation on 3rd day and thereafter once in 10 days.
  7. Harvest	:	First harvest at 90 days after planting and subsequent harvests once in 50 days.
  8. Green fodder yield	:	125 t/ha/year
  Note: To get better germination seeds must be treated in hot water at 80o C for 5 minutes (boiling water removed from the flame and kept for 4 minutes to attain 80o C). After hot water treatment, seeds should be washed with cold water and soaked in cold water over a night. Seeds should be shade dried before sowing

   

  Seed Production in Lucerne/Desmanthus/Velimasal

  Land Requirements

  • Land should be free of volunteer plants.
  • Previous crop should not be other varieties of the same crop.
  • It can be the same variety if it is certified as per the procedures of certification agency.

  Pre-sowing seed treatment

  • For better germination, seeds must be treated in hot water at 80oC for 5 minutes (boiling water removed from the flame and kept for 4 minutes to attain 80oC). After the treatment, seeds should be washed and soaked in cold water over night and shade dried.
  • Treat the seeds with 600 g of Rhizobium and 600 g of Phosphobacteria/ha of seeds.

  Foliar application

  • Foliar spray of 200 ppm salicylic acid thrice at 10 days interval after 50 per cent flowering to improve seed set.

  Harvest

  • Harvest the pods in pickings and delayed harvest leads to shattering loss.
  • Grading : Grade the seed using BSS 14 x 14 sieve.

  Storage

  • Short term storage in gunny/cloth bag (8 – 9 months) with 9-10% moisture content .
  • Medium term storage in polylined gunny bag (12 – 15 months) with 8 – 9 % moisture.
  • Long term storage in 700 gauge polythene bag (more than 15 months) with 8% moisture.