Studies on sowing environment for sustainable production of rabi sorghum (Sorghum bicolour L.) Under climate change situation in scarcity zone of Maharashtra

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at Research farm, Zonal Agriculture Research Station, Solapur for five years (2013-14 to 2017-18) in rabi on sorghum entitled as "Studies on Sowing Environment for Sustainable Production in Rabi Sorghum (Sorghum bicolour L.) Under Climate Change Situation in Scarcity Zone of Maharashtra." to find out most optimum meteorological week for sowing sorghum in rabi season, to study the relationship between meteorological parameters and yield by using four different sowing windows. The results were obtained from the experiment, it was found that rabi sorghum sown at MW 40 (01-07 Oct) produced maximum pooled grain yield (1204.2 kg ha -1 ), fodder (2477.1 kg ha -1 ) and total monetary returns (Rs.35749 ha -1 ). Among the varieties, M-35-1 was produced significantly higher grain yield (1056.8 kg ha -1 ), fodder yield (2283.6 kg ha -1 ) and total monetary returns (Rs.31852 ha -1 ) over the other variety. The meteorological studies showed that the mean CUM and MUE recorded by sorghum crop was 211 mm and 4.5 kg ha -1 mm. The highest CUM was recorded by S1 sown crop (233 mm) however the MUE was recorded by S3 sown crop (5.8 kg ha -1 mm). This indicated that S3 sown crop (Chitra Nakshtras) utilized moisture more efficiently than other dates of sowing. Among the variety M-35-1 recorded maximum mean CUM (220 mm) and MUE (4.8 ha -1 mm) than other varieties. The number of days required to attain physiological maturity and growing degree days were higher in S3 sown crop. Among the varieties it is higher in M35-1 than Mauli and Yashoda. In case of RUE initially values were low, it increases up to 84 DAS (i.e. up to 50 percent flowering to soft dough stage) further it decreases in all most all the sowing dates.