On-Farm Participatory Technology Development on Forage Cutting and Nitrogen Management in Dual-Purpose Wheat (Triticum aestivum) in Northwestern Himalayas

In addition to agriculture, livestock plays an important role in strengthening rural economy of hill farming communities in northwestern (NW) Himalayas, where green fodder shortage in winter months is a major production constraint for milch animals. Recently released dual-purpose early-sown wheat cultivar VL-829 holds great potential to provide plenty of green fodder in lean winter months following appropriate agrotechnology in Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir states of India in NW Himalayas. To validate the performance and profitability of recently generated agrotechnology on forage cutting and nitrogen (N) management in dual-purpose wheat VL-829 in wet temperate NW Himalayas under on-farm participatory mode, two on-farm trials were conducted both under rainfed and irrigated conditions during Rabi 2006-2007 and Rabi 2007-2008, using three agrotechnologies. Agrotechnology imbedded with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) at 80:40:40 kg ha(-1) + 20 kg N ha(-1) (25% greater N) at green forage cut at 85 days after sowing (DAS) + seed rate at 125 kg ha(-1) (25% greater seed rate) was proved as an appropriate agrotechnology for harnessing the ability of dual-purpose wheat VL-829 to harvest additional green forage yield of 58.75 and 92 q ha(-1) under rainfed and irrigated conditions, respectively, with respective slight grain yield reduction by 4.76 and 8.89% over check [no forage cut + 80:40:40 kg N, P, and K ha(-1) + seed rate at 100 kg ha(-1)]. This agrotechnology standardized under on-farm participatory mode again fetched greatest gross and net returns over other treatments owing to additional income due to green fodder. Overall, appropriate agrotechnology on forage cutting and N management in dual-purpose wheat resulted in comparatively greater grain and straw yield with additional green fodder besides the greatest profitability. Therefore, with agronomical interventions coupled with farmers' participation in different agroecological microniches of NW Himalayas, both grain yield stability and additional green fodder potential of dual-purpose wheat VL-829 may enhance significantly. This would thereby provide hill farmers with better options to sustain their small-scale agriculture and livestock rearing for sustaining their farm livelihood in mountainous terrains of wet temperate NW Himalayas.