Growth and Yield Parameters of Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) as Influenced by Irrigation Regimes and Nitrogen Levels

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Instructional-cum-Research (ICR) Farm, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat during 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with three replications. The treatments consisted of five levels of irrigation in main plot viz., I0: Rainfed, I1: Irrigation at critical growth stages, I2: Irrigation at IW: CPE ratio of 1.0, I3: Irrigation at IW:CPE ratio of 1.2 and I4: Irrigation at IW:CPE ratio of 1.4 along with four levels of N - N0: 0 kg N/ha, N1: 30 kg N/ha, N2: 60kg N/ha and N3: 90 kg N/ha in sub- plots. The soil of the experimental site was sandy loam in texture, acidic in reaction, medium in organic carbon, medium in available N, available P2O5 and low in available K2O. The results revealed that different irrigation regimes significantly influenced the plant height, number of tillers/m2, number of leaves/m2, green fodder yield and dry matter yield of ryegrass at all the three cuts. The highest data recorded in irrigation at IW:CPE ratio of 1.4. The effect of levels of N on plant height, number of tillers/m2, number of leaves/m2, green fodder yield and dry matter yield of ryegrass were found to be significant at all three cuts in ryegrass. Application of 90 kg N/ha recorded the highest data than all other levels of nitrogen.