FARMER'S NOTEBOOK
Sweet sorghum seems a good alternative for A.P. ryots
M.J. PRABU
|
From one hectare, about 30 tonnes of fresh stalk can be harvested
|
— Photo: ICRISAT
Better yield: The stalks, relished by cattle, have better digestibility when compared with grain sorghum.
Soaring prices of fossil-fuels and environmental pollution associated with their use, has resulted in increased worldwide interest in the production and use of bio-fuels. The Indian Crops Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru in Andhra Pradesh, has launched a campaign with the dryland farmers of Andhra Pradesh, encouraging them to plant sweet sorghum (variety named NTJ-2) for producing ethanol. The harvested sorghum is sold to a private distillery.
Other benefits
Sweet sorghum has other benefits when compared to sugarcane and maize. It requires only half of the water required to grow maize and one eighth of the water required to grow sugarcane. The cultivation cost is less when compared to sugarcane.
The juice from the stalks is used for fuel alcohol production. The leftover stalks (called stillage) after juice extraction can be used for animal feed, according to Dr. Belum Reddy, Principal Scientist, Sorghum breeding, of the Institute.
Fields should be prepared by applying 10 tonnes of farmyard manure per hectare and ploughed well with the onset of monsoon. Sowing the seeds within one week of first shower will help the crop escape shoot fly infestation, according to Dr. Belum.
Required spacing
“Large-scale planting at a time in a given area minimises shoot fly damage. About 8 kg of seeds are required for sowing in a hectare. While sowing, farmers are advised to maintain a spacing of 45 cm (between rows) x 12-15 cm (between plants within a row),” he said.
“For late sown crops (that is after first week of July) use higher seed rate at 12-15 kg per hectare and sow the crop along with application of 3 per cent carbofuran granules at the rate of 20 kg per hectare to control shoot fly.”
Regarding fertilizer application Dr. Belum said, “apply about 200 kg of ammonium phosphate (28N:28P:0K) as basal application at the time of sowing and 100 kg of urea (46 per cent N) at 35-40 days after sowing.”
Shoot fly infestations are normally noticed during the first fortnight of the crop. Symptoms include drying of central leaf leading to dead hearts and production of side tillers. Application of 2-3 granules of Carbofuran in each whorl at 15-20 days after sowing prevents shoot fly.
Infestation symptoms
Stem borer infests the crop from second week after planting to maturity stage. The symptoms include transparent windows, shot holes, deadhearts, stem tunneling, peduncle tunneling – breakage and complete or partial chaffy panicles.
Application of endosulfan 35 per cent EC at the rate of 2.0 litres in 300 litres of water or quinalphos 25 per cent EC at the rate of 2.0 litres in 300 litres of water (mix surfactant ‘Sandovit’ in all the applications at the rate of 1 ml per litre) or whorl application of 5-6 granules of Carbofuran (3 per cent granules) is found effective in the control of stem borer infestation, according to Dr. A. Ashok kumar, Sorghum breeder, GT-Crop Improvement.
Protective irrigation if required should be given during germination, seedling stage, flowering and dough stage of grain formation. “The crop can be harvested when a black layer appears at the bottom of the seed in lower half of the panicles. Farmers should harvest the stalks and grain separately,” said Dr. Ashok.
Covered area
Harvested stalks can be marketed to nearby distilleries and feed manufacturers. A private distillery in collaboration with ICRISAT is currently targeting about 2,500 acres to planting sweet sorghum. Nearly about 1,600 acres are already being covered during this year.
Field experiments conducted have proved that from one hectare of sweet sorghum, a farmer can harvest about 30 tonnes of fresh stalk. The cost of cultivation of sweet sorghum works out to Rs.10,500 per hectare. It generates a total income of Rs. 21,000 with a net return of Rs 10,500.
The sweet sorghum stalks are relished by cattle and the digestibility is higher compared to grain sorghum. In the absence of a distillery, the farmer can sell the stalks to animal feed manufacturers. The stillage (bagasse) from sweet sorghum stalk is a good animal feed similar to grain sorghum.
For more information readers can contact Dr. Belum Reddy, Principal Scientist, email: b.reddy@cgiar.org and Dr. A. Ashok kumar, Sorghum breeder, GT-Crop Improvement, email: a.ashokkumar@cgiar.org, phone: 040-30713487 and 040-30713348, ICRISAT P. O., Patancheru, Medak district, Andhra Pradesh: 502324.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Sci Tech
