Effect of pruning on growth and forage production in Albizia procera based silvipastoral system in semi arid Bundelkhand, India Palsaniya D. R., Singh H. K., Ram M., Rai P., Singh U. P., Yadav R. S. National Research Centre for Agroforestry, Jhansi – 284003, India *Corresponding author E-mail: drpalsaniya@gmail.com
Online published on 21 July, 2012. Abstract An investigation consisting of five treatments viz., pasture + tree without pruning, 25, 50 and 75% canopy pruning and pure pasture in four year old Albizia procera based silvipastoral system was carried out. Significantly higher tree height (4.7 m) and diameter at breast height (9.6 cm) were recorded under 75% canopy pruning over other treatments. Unpruned and 25% pruning, recorded significantly higher canopy spread over 75% pruning, the increase being 39.1 and 44%, respectively. Similarly, 75% canopy pruning also recorded significantly higher dry leaf fodder (1 t ha−1), fuel wood (1.9 t ha−1) and total dry biomass (2.9 t ha−1) from Albizia procera over both 25 and 50% canopy pruning treatments. Dry matter yield of Chrysopogon fulvus in pure pasture (5.25 t ha−1) and 75% canopy pruning (4.77 t ha−1) was 35.7 and 23.3% higher over unpruned treatment, respectively while, on the other hand, pure pasture, being at par with 75% pruning, produced 2.85 t ha−1 dry matter yield of Stylosanthes seabrana which was higher by 51.6, 44.7 and 30.7% over unpruned, 25 and 50% pruning treatments, respectively. The total system dry biomass production (tree + pasture) from 75% pruning (10.28 t ha−1) was significantly higher by 78.8, 51.6, 34.4 and 26.9% over unpruned, 25, 50% pruning and pure pasture, respectively. Top Keywords Chrysopogon, Forage production, Pruning, Pruned biomass, Silvipasture, Stylosanthes, Semi-arid. Top |