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Effect of sowing date on forage yield and quality of millets (Panicum spp.) in saline soils in south of Kerman province, Iran
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Morteza Eshraghi-Nejad   , Fatemeh Firozi , Somayeh Naghavi , Reza Ataei , Javad Sarhadi Sardoei |
| Field and Horticultural Crops Science Research Department, Southern Kerman Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Jiroft, Iran |
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Abstract: (61 Views) |
Introduction: Millets are one of the most important cereal crops in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide, valued for its high adaptability to unfavorable environmental conditions such as salinity and drought stresses. It plays a crucial role in food security in these regions. Optimal planting dates and suitable and adapted cultivars are among the most important management factors for enhancing forage yield and quality of millet. Additionally, millet species differ in responses to different planting dates. Considering the importance of this facotor, this experiment was desiged and implemented to investigate the effect of planting date on forage yield and agronomic characteristics of millet species under saline soil conditions in south of Kerman province in Iran.
Materials and Methods: The experiment was carried-out using randomized complete block design with three replications over two cropping seasons (2022-2023). The experimental treatments included sowing dates (Aug. 1, Sep. 1, Feb. 10, Mar. 10, and Apr. 10) and millet species (Pearl millet cv. Mehran, Foxtail millet cv. Bastan, and Proso mollet cv. Pishahang). The evaluated traits included fresh and dry forage yield, plant height, days to flowering, metabolic energy (ME), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ash content, crude protein content, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), fat content, and dry matter percentage.
Results: The results of the combined analysis of variance indicated that the sowing date × milet species significantly affected most of the studied traits. The highest fresh forage yield (38 t.ha-1) and dry forage yield (5.8 t.ha-1) were achieved from the Pearl millet cv. Mehran, particularly in planting dates of August 1 and September 1, respectively. Overall, summer sowing dates had higher forage yield compared to spring sowing dates. The maximum plant height (123.9 cm) was observed in the Pearl millet cv. Mehran sown on August 1. The shortest days to flowering (36.7 days) was recorded in the Proso millet cv. Pishahang sown on April 8. However, the longest days to flowering (56.3 days) was observed in the Pearl millet sown on August 1. The highest protein yield (831.3 kg.ha-1) was observed in the September sowing date. Furthermore, the economic evaluation of millet production demonstrated that the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) was 3.08, indicating economic viability (as values >1 are desirable), and in studied cropping seasons, the net present value (NPV) was positive (>0).
Conclusion: The findings of this experiment demonstrate that both sowing date and millet species significantly affected the forage yield and quality as well as, agronomic characteristics of millet species under saline soil conditions. Given its nutritional value, particularly its adequate energy content, crude protein content, and plant cell wall components, millet forage can serve as a suitable alternative in the forage portion of ruminant diets. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that millet production is economically profitable in the saline soil in the southern regions of Kerman province. In conclusion, summer sowing dates (August and September) and the Pearl millet cv. Mehran had the highest forage yield.
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| Keywords: Economic evaluation, Forage quality, Forage yield and Pearl millet |
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Full-Text [PDF 956 kb]
(60 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Scientific & Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/05/2 | Accepted: 2025/09/17 | Published: 2026/03/30
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