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An experiment entitled “Response of Bajra Napier hybrid varieties to varying shade
levels’’ was conducted at Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 2020
November to 2021 May to assess the influence of different shade levels on the growth, quality
and yield of promising varieties of Bajra Napier hybrid.The experiment was laid out in split
plot design with 12 treatment combinations in 3 replications. Main plot treatments were three
different shade levels (open, 25 per cent shade, 50 per cent shade) and subplot treatments were
four different BN hybrid varieties (Suguna, Susthira, CO-3, CO-5).
Plant height increased with increase in shade levels but interaction had no significant effect
on plant height. LAI increased with increase in shade levels and CO-5 under 50 % shade level
recorded maximum LAI. Tiller production was decreased with increase in shade level and
maximum tiller production was recorded in CO-3 under open condition and was on par with CO5 under same shade level. Shade levels alone had no significant effect on LSR but varieties and
interaction had significant effect on LSR.CO-3 under open condition recorded significantly higher
LSR(2.06). Suguna under 50 per cent shade level recorded maximum chlorophyll content and was
on par with CO-5 under same shade level. Photosynthetic rate increased with decrease in shade
level and CO-5 under open condition recorded maximum photosynthetic rate. Green fodder yield
(GFY) significantly reduced under shaded condition. CO-5 under open condition recorded
significantly superior values of nutrient uptake, GFY (173.63 t ha-1) and DFY (38.20 t ha-1).
Shade had significant effect on quality characters like crude protein, crude fibre and
oxalate content of different BN hybrid varieties. Crude protein content increased with increase in
shade level and Suguna under 50 per cent shade level recorded highest crude protein content
(12.82 %) and was on par with CO-5 under 25 per cent shade level. Crude fibre content decreased
with increase in shade level and Susthira under 50 per cent shade level recorded lowest value of
crude fibre content (26.87 %). Minimum oxalate content was recorded under open condition and
Susthira under open condition recorded lowest oxalate content and was on par with Suguna under
same shade.
Available nutrient content of soil was significantly influenced by shade levels and there
was an increasing trend noticed with increase in shade level.
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Shade levels also had a significant effect on economics of cultivation of different BN
hybrid varieties and among different treatment combinations, highest B:C ratio was estimated for
the treatment combination CO-5 under open condition (2.55).
Hence considering growth, yield, quality and nutrient uptake of different BN hybrid
varieties under varying shade levels, it can be concluded that CO-5 is best suited for cultivation
under open and 50 per cent shade and Suguna for 25 per cent shaded fields.