Performance of hybrid napier cultivars under rainfed ecosystems in humid tropics

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2011-12 to evaluate the performance of 11 popular cultivars of hybrid napier, viz., CO-2, CO-3, CO-4, KKM-1, Suguna, Supriya, IGFRI-3, IGFRI-7, DHN-6, PBN-16 and PTH under rainfed conditions. Among these, CO-3 was found superior with respect to total fodder yield, leaf–stem ratio and the ability to withstand drought. The cultivars CO-4 and PTH also survived the drought period, and therefore, can be considered for growing in the humid tropics without irrigation.