Effect of date of sowing and cutting intervals on yield attribute, yield, quality and soil fertility of Lucerne [Medicago sativa L.] under North Gujarat agroclimatic conditions

Abstract

An experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Instructional Farm, C. P. College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar during rabi season of 2011-12 to find out the optimum date of sowing and cutting interval for Lucerne crop under north Gujarat agroclimatic conditions. The results of yield attributing characters indicated that significantly higher green leaf weight was recorded by 10th November sowing and 30 days cutting interval after common cut in the mean values of all cuts. Similarly, the mean green stem weight, green forage yield per plant and dry forage yield per plant was significantly higher by sowing the crop on 10th November and 30 days cutting interval after common cut and it was followed by 20th November sowing and 30 days cutting interval. Whereas, numerically higher crude protein content was noted by 20th November sowing and 25 days cutting interval in the mean values of all cuts. The effect of different date of sowing and cutting intervals on available nitrogen, phosphorous and potash was found non-significant after harvesting of the crop.