Abstract

                                Field experiments were conducted during 2018 – 19 at Field No.53 C of Glass house farm, Department of Forage Crops, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to study the performance of single budded setts with sett treatment on establishment, growth and yield of Bajra Napier hybrid grass. Treatments comprised of single budded setts prepared by two methods of sett preparation (manual and sett cutter) and also with and without sett treatments and two methods of planting (horizontal and vertical planting) along with vertical planting of two budded setts (existing practices). Sett treatment of 12 hours soaking in water and 24 hours incubation was followed. Cumbu Napier hybrid grass variety CO (BN) 5 was used. Two trials were conducted. Significantly higher total sugar content and the lower starch content, total phenolics and lowest IAAO activity were recorded in horizontal planting of manually prepared single budded setts with sett treatment and horizontal planting of sett cutter prepared single budded setts with sett treatment. Horizontal planting of manually prepared single budded setts with sett treatment registered higher establishment of 90.8 percent, green fodder yield (121.5 t/ha/2cuts), dry matter yield (28.8 t/ha/ 2 cuts) and crude protein yield (3.90 t/ha/ 2 cuts) and it was on par with horizontal planting of sett cutter prepared single budded setts with sett treatment and vertical planting of two budded setts (existing practice). Hence, Horizontal planting of single budded setts with sett treatment (12 hours soaking in water followed by 24 hours incubation) was found to be a viable option for better establishment with reduced sett requirement (50%) and cost of cultivation.

Key words : Bajra Napier hybrid grass CO (BN) 5, Horizontal planting, Single budded setts, Sett treatment