Performance of Browntop Millet (Brachiaria ramosa L.) under Varied Spacing and Fertility Levels

Abstract

Aims: Browntop millet is a warm season crop and it can produce heavy seeds compared to other millets. This crop grown on a variety of soils and climates. Brown top millet provide nearly all essential nutrients. Brown top millet referred as miracle or positive crop for the dry and rainfed situations. The Brown top millet is known for its rapid forage production. Study Design:  The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. Place and Duration of Study: An experiment was conducted for two consecutive Kharif seasons of 2019 and 2020 at Project Coordinating Unit, AICRP on Small Millets, Bangalore Methodology: Main plot was having three levels of fertilizer viz., F1(75 % RDF), F2(100% RDF) and F3(125 % RDF) and sub plot was accommodated with four different level of spacings viz., S1(22.5 cm X 10 cm), S2(30 cm X 10 cm), S3(45 cm X 10 cm) and S4(60 cm x 10 cm) Results: Results over years revealed that the plant height, number of tillers, 1000 seed weight, grain yield and straw yield found significantly higher with 125 per cent RDF however, was found on par with 100 per cent RDF. And regarding spacing, 45 cm x 10 cm was found optimum to realize higher yield. Conclusion: Spacing of 45 cm x 10 cm proved its significant dominance with plant height, number of tillers, 1000 seed weight, grain yield and straw yield as compared to other spacings tested. The nutrient uptake by crop and nutrient availability in soil also showed significantly higher values at 125 per cent RDF followed by 100 per cent RDF and again at the wider spacing level of 45 cm x 10 cm. All these results were further strengthened with higher economic parameters viz., gross return, net return and B:C ratio.