RESPONSE OF MULTICUT FODDER SORGHUM (SORGHUM-BICOLOR) CULTIVARS TO NITROGEN AND CUTTING MANAGEMENT

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) seasons of 1984 and 1985 to study the effect of different levels of N and cutting management on growth and yield of multicut cultivars of fodder sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. Green-forage, dry-matter, crude protein and digestible dry-matter yields increased significantly with the increase in N levels up to 120 kg N/ha. Cultivar 'SSG 988' produced significantly higher green forage, dry matter, crude protein and digestible dry matter than the other 2 cultivars. Cutting at 40-day interval produced significantly higher green fodder, dry matter, crude protein, and digestible dry matter over 30-day interval.