Research Article
Agronomic Management Strategies Elevate Forage Sorghum Yield: A Review
Muhammad Aamir Iqbal
Corresponding Author : Muhammad Aamir Iqbal
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan.
Email ID : draamir1801@gmail.com
Received : 2015-06-13 Accepted : 2015-07-08 Published : 2015-07-08
Abstract : Forage sorghum is one of the most heat and drought resistant cereal forage having the potential to yield nutritious forage even during the months of extreme heat for dairy animals. It yields considerably higher biomass production with less use of fertilizers and irrigations. It can be grown in almost all types of soils and has the potential to tolerate soil toxicities without considerable reduction in green forage yield. But in Pakistan, per hectare green forage yield of sorghum is much less (about 13 tons per hectare in irrigated tracts) than the potential. Rainfed areas are producing even less green forage yield than irrigated tracts. A variety of factors reduce forage sorghum yield including selection of unsuitable forage sorghum cultivars, poor seed bed preparation, weeds and fewer use of fertilizers. Appropriate agronomic management strategies hold the key in bridging the gap between forage sorghum yield and potential. Appropriate variety selection, pre-sowing seed priming and seed treatment with fungicide, fine seed bed preparation, line sowing, balanced use of fertilizers at optimum time, irrigation management, insect-pest management and harvesting at 50% flowering stage are few of the strategies which can increase the forage sorghum yield to a great extent. Appropriate agronomic management strategies are bound to increase the forage sorghum yield as well as its quality attributes particularly protein contents. In this way, sustainable supply of green forage during summer reduces the drastic effects of forage shortage and ultimately milk production on sustainable basis can be ensured to cater the needs of rising population.
Keywords : Agronomy, Dairy farming, Drip irrigation, Forages and fodders, Sorghum-legumes intercropping
Citation : Muhammad Aamir Iqbal (2015). Agronomic Management Strategies Elevate Forage Sorghum Yield: A Review. J. of Advanced Botany and Zoology, V3I208. DOI : 10.5281/zenodo.918335
Copyright : © 2015 Muhammad Aamir Iqbal. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Journal of Advanced Botany and Zoology
ISSN : 2348-7313
Volume 3 / Issue 2
ScienceQ Publishing Group
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