Sorghum

Nursery
Application of FYM to the nursery

• Apply 750 kg of FYM or compost for 7.5 cents nursery and apply another 500 kg of compost or FYM for covering the seeds after sowing.
• Spread the manure evenly on the unploughed soil and incorporate by ploughing or apply just before last ploughing.

MAIN FIELD

APPLICATION OF FYM

Spread 12.5 t/ha FYM or composted coir pith along with 10 packets of Azospirillum (2000g/ha) and 10 packets (2000 g/ha) of phosphobacteria or 20 packets of Azophos (4000g/ha) on the unploughed field and incorporate the manure in the soil. Apply well decomposed poultry manure @ 5 t/ha to improve the grain yield as well as physical properties of soils.

APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS

Transplanted crop

Direct sown crop

• Apply NPK fertilizers as per soil test recommendations as far as possible. If soil test recommendations are not available, adopt a blanket recommendation of 90 N, 45 P₂O₅, 45 K2O kg/ha.
• Apply N @ 50:25:25 % at 0, 15 and 30 DAS and full dose of P2O5 and K2O basally before sowing and if basal application is not possible the same could be top dressed within 24 hours.
• In the case of bed planted crop, mark lines to a depth of 5 cm and 45 cm apart.  Place the fertilizer mixture at the depth of 5 cm along the lines. Cover the lines upto 2 cm from the top before sowing.
• In the case of sorghum raised as a mixed crop with a pulse crop (Blackgram, Greengram or Cowpea) open furrows 30 cm apart to a depth of 5 cm.
• Apply fertilizer mixture in two lines in which sorghum is to be raised and cover upto 2 cm.
• Skip the third row in which the pulse crop is to be raised and place fertilizer mixture in the next two rows and cover upto 2 cm with soil.
• Application of bio-fertilizers: When Azospirillum is used apply only 75% of recommended N for irrigated sorghum.
• Soil test based fertilizer recommendation may be adopted in Western and North Western Zone viz., Alfisol, Inceptisol and Vertisol for prescribing fertilizer doses for specified yield targets.

APPLICATION OF MICRONUTRIENT MIXTURE

Transplanted Crop

• Mix 12.5 kg/ha of micronutrient mixture formulated by the Department of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu with enough sand to make a total quantity of 50 kg and apply the mixture over the furrows and on top one third of the ridges.
• If micronutrient mixture is not available, mix 25 kg of zinc sulphate with sand to make a total quantity of 50 kg and apply on the furrows and on the top one third of the ridges.

Direct Sown Crop

• Mix 12.5 kg of micronutrient mixture formulated by the Department of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu with enough sand to make a total quantity of 50 kg.
• Spread the mixture evenly on the beds.
• Basal application of 25 kg ZnSO4/ha-1 for the deficient soils or 12.5 kg Zn SO4 ha-1 + FYM for the Zn deficient soils
• Basal application of FeSO4, 50 kg/ha along with 12.5 t/ha FYM for iron deficient soils.

Direct sown crop

• Spray only if micronutrient mixture is not applied.
• Apply in case of iron deficiency.
• If soil is calcareous

RATOON SORGHUM CROP

APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS

• Apply 100 kg N/ha in two split doses.
• Apply the first dose on 15th day after cutting and the second on 45th day after cutting.
• Apply 50 kg P2O5/ha along with the application of N on 45th day.

RAINFED SORGHUM

Test the soil and apply fertilizers based on soil test recommendations.

FYM application should be done @ 12.5 t / ha and well incorporated at the time of ploughing. Chisel the soils having hard pan formation at shallow depths with chisel plough at 0.5 M interval, first in one direction and then in the direction perpendicular to the previous one once in three years. Apply 12.5 t FYM or composted Coir pith/ha besides chiseling to get an additional yield of about 30% over control.

• Treat the seeds with three packets of azospirillum (600 g) and 3 packets of phosphobacteria or 6 packets of Azophos (1200 g/ha). In the main field, apply 10 packets of azospirillum 2000 g/ha and 10 packets (2000g/ha) of phosphobacteria or 20 packets of Azophos (4000 g/ha) with phosphobacteria 2 kg with 25 kg FYM + 25 kg soil.

FERTILIZER

Apply 12.5 t/ha of Composted Coir pith + NPK at 40:20:0; Apply enriched FYM 750 kg/ha. The recommended dose of 40 kg N and 20 kg P2O5/ha for rainfed sorghum can be halved if FYM @ 5 t/ ha is applied.

Updated on : 29.05.2013