Abstract

A hortipastoral experiment was conduced for six years, from 1993 to 1998 with an objective to evaluate the performance of three fodder crops as an understorey in four fruit trees viz., Guava (Psidium gujava), Jack (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Mango (Mangifera indica) and Sapota (Achrus sapota) at the National Pulses Research Centre, Vamban, Tamil Nadu. It is observed that when fodder crops are intercropped with fruit trees, the fodder yield was reduced over years from a mean maximum of 7.47 tha-' in the first year to 5.66 t ha-' in sixth year and the growth of trees showed a differential response. Among the combinations, mango+maize and guava+maize are the best for higher fodder production without reduction in gorwth of fruit trees and also establishing hortipastoral system under rainfed condition in alfisol of southern India.

Keywords: Fodder production - Hortipastoral system - Understorey-Fruit trees