Vol. 12, Special Issue 7 (2023)

Author(s):
R Abishek, R Santhi, S Maragatham and M Gopalakrishnan

Abstract:
Sorghum the primary feed crop farmed intensively in India. By using inductive methods, a field experiment was carried out to investigate how fodder sorghum (var. CO 30) production and nutrient uptake responded to an artificial soil fertility gradient field. (Fertility gradient concept). In 2021, a field trial was carried out in the "Tapioca and Castor Research Station" in Yethapur, Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India (11⁰35’ N, 78⁰ 29’ E). The research area was separated into three parallel strips, with strip I (N₀P₀K₀), strip II (N₁P₁K₁), and strip III (N₂P₂K₂), receiving three graded amounts of fertilizer N, P₂O₅, and K₂O in the forms of urea, SSP, and MOP, respectively. The N1 level was calculated based on the general recommendation of fodder sorghum, and the P1 and K1 values were established based on the soil's fixing capacity to fix P (100 kg/ha) and K (80 kg/ha) respectively. Sorghum var. CO 30 was cultivated as a gradient crop, and fodder production were estimated. Samples of plants were collected during the time of harvest, and the concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were assessed. Additionally, an estimation was made about the uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The results indicated that the utilization of varying quantities of major nutrient fertilizers (NPK) had a significant influence on the fertility of the soil, the intake of NPK, as well as the production of sorghum fooder.