Evaluation of morpho-physiological traits for higher green forage yield in Desmanthus genotypes

Abstract

Desmanthus spp., a perennial leguminous shrub, holds great potential as a high-protein fodder source for ruminants. Its use as a forage crop is gaining attention for sustainable livestock production, as it offers a good balance of crude protein, digestibility, and biomass yield. To meet the growing demand for quality forage, there is a need to identify suitable genotypes with better morpho-physiological traits responsible for the higher green forage yield. A field experiment was conducted during the year 2023 at AICRP on Forage Crops & Utilization farm at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, involving six genotypes of Desmanthus virgatus in a Randomized Block Design with four replications to evaluate the morpho-physiological traits responsible for the higher green forage yield. Results revealed that out of six genotypes evaluated in this study, VTDV-4 had suitable morphological traits, viz., plant height, days to 50% flowering, number of leaves, leaf and stem weight, total plant fresh weight, leaf-to-stem ratio, leaf area, and stem girth for producing higher green forage. These morphological traits improved physiological traits, viz., LAI, CGR, NAR and RGR. These morpho-physiological traits are closely associated with the green forage yield and can be used to select suitable genotypes to enhance forage yield and meet growing demand significantly.