Quality seed production in Stylosanthes spp. as affected by varieties, spacing and seed treatments

Abstract

Stylosanthes popularly known as stylo is an important legume fodder crop of subtropical and temperate region of the America, tropical Africa and South-east Asia. Stylo belong to the genus Stylosanthes of sub-tribe Stylosanthinae, tribe Aeschynomeneae, sub-family papilonideae, family leguminosae (Polhill and Raven, 1981). Stylo mostly prefer tropical and subtropical climates and have varied edaphic requirements, most of them requiring well drained rocky, gravelly and loamy soil. Thus stylo has a good scope for improvement of pasture lands of tropical and subtropical India. Large scale seed production of traditional S. hamata being labour intensive and time consuming operation, has been a major obstacle in the widespread cultivation.