干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

A field experiment was conducted during 1997-99 to find out the best sowing method for establishing pastures at Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu. Three pasture grasses, viz Andropogon gayanus Kunh, Cenchrus setigerus Vahl and Pennisetum polystachion (L.) Schuttes were tested against four sowing methods for their performance and productivity. The results revealed that direct seeding is the best method of sowing for Cenchrus setigerus and Pennisetum polystachion with higher green fodder production of 5.61 and 22.3 tonnes/ha/year respectively, while broadcasting seeds in sand mixture is ideal for Andropogon gayanus (2.5 tonnes/ha/year).