Biomass Production and Quality of Intercropped Forage in Terminalia chebula Retz Based Agroforestry System

Abstract

newline The present study was conducted to assess the growth, biomass productivity and forage quality of four forage species in Terminalia chebula (Retz.) based agroforestry system at Experimental Farm Division of Silviculture and Agroforestry, SKUAST-J Chatha, Jammu. The experiment was laid out in a factorial completely randomized block design with two cropping patterns (open and intercropped) and 4 forage species (Setaria sphacelata, Brachiaria brizantha, Stylosanthes hamata and Setaria anceps), and were replicated thrice. Results revealed that growth parameters such as plant height, leaf length, and number of leaves were significantly higher in open compared to intercropping where a reduction of 11-21 percent was observed in different intercropped treatments. Maximum plant height (98.37 cm), leaf length (67.83 cm) and fresh weight (14.20 Mg/ha) was recorded in S. anceps under open condition. Dry weight was also highest (3.36 Mg/ha) in S. anceps. Quality parameters like nitrogen percent, crude protein percent, and phosphorus percent were highest in Stylosanthes hamata. Acid detergent fiber, and acid detergent lignin were highest in S. sphacelata. The study suggests that the performance of S. anceps was better compared to the rest of species, indicating its suitability as intercrop under T. chebula.