Interactive effect of sowing dates and seeding rates on fodder yield and quality of pearl millet
Abstract: Two field experiments were conducted at Giza Agricultural Research Station, Agricultural Research Center, Egypt during the summer seasons of 2015 and 2016. These experiments aimed to determine the optimum planting date and seeding rate on pearl millet forage crop. The treatments were arranged in a split plot design with three replicates. The four planting dates were (1st April, 15th April, 1st May and 15th May) and allocated to the main plots, whereas the seeding rates (10, 15, 20 kg fad.-1) were allocated to the sub- main plots. Maximum values of all studied traits were obtained with planting date 15th April and minimum values were recorded with planting date 15th May. It could be stated that all growth, yield and yield components traits were significantly increased by increasing seeding rates except stem diameter. The increases in plant height, number of stems m-2 and number of leaves plant-1 due to planting at 15th April with 20 kg fad-1 seed rate amounted 8.5%, 43.99% and 31.0 % compared by planting at 1st April with 10 kg fad-1 seed rate of the mean values, respectively. Meanwhile the same treatment caused significant increases in the total fresh and dry forage yields. These increases amounted 63% and 60 %, respectively. Results indicated that protein % reached the maximum value with 15th April sowing date combined with 20 kg fad-1 seed rate but fiber and ash % with 1st April and 10 kg fad-1 seeding rate. The feasibility study proved that forage millet is economically advisable under planting at 15th April with 20 kg fad-1 seed rate, where net farm return per year and net return per invested one L.E. were 12774 and 2.76 L.E., respectively.
Publication year 2019
Organization Name
Author(s) from ARC
External authors (outside ARC)
    ولاء محمد النبوى السيد موسى
    زيزى مصطفى عباس
Publication Type Journal
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