Journal of AgriSearch, 7(2):70-73 1 2 3 4 5* PRAMOD KUMAR , RAGHUNATH PRASAD , RRK SINHA , SANJEEV KUMAR AND ANIL KUMAR SINGH ISSN : 2348-8808 (Print), 2348-8867 (Online) https://doi.org/10.21921/jas.v6i02.18100 An Open Access International Peer Reviewed Quarterly Studies on Standing Crop Biomass and Primary Productivity of Horse Gram in Jharkhand 1 Ph. D. Scholar, Magadh University, Bodhgaya, Bihar, India 2 Associate Prof, Magadh University Bodhgaya, Bihar, India 3 Assistant Prof., Bihar Vet.College, Bihar Animal Science University, Patna, Bihar, India 4 Associate Prof., SGIDT, Bihar Animal Science University, Bihar, India 5 Principal Scientist, ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, Bihar, India *Corresponding author email : anil.icarpat@gmail.com The standing crop biomass in different plant compartments was found to be variable with the age of the crop. The total plant biomass of ageing plant indicated a sigmoidal curve in three varieties of Birsa Kulthi–1, Birsa Kulthi–2 and Birsa Kulthi–3. The total plant 2 biomass was recorded to be 115.53 g/m 2 (Birsa Kulthi–1), 92.85 g/m (Birsa Kulthi–2) 2 and 72.42 g/m (Birsa Kulthi–3) at final harvest i.e. 105 days. Contribution of stem and leaves to the total plant biomass has increased between 15 and 90 days. Infl./pod biomass per cent as found to be increasing throughout. Standing dead biomass was maximum 9.40 per cent (Birsa Kulthi–1), 8.97 per cent (Birsa Kulthi–2) and 6.53 per cent (Birsa Kulthi–3) at final harvest i.e. 105 days. Peak values for current increments in biomass were observed at 90 days in Birsa Kulthi–1 and 105 days in Birsa Kulthi–2 and Birsa Kulthi–3. The peak values for net primary productivity were found to be highest at 90 days for Birsa Kulthi–1 and 105 days harvest for Birsa Kulthi–2 and Birsa Kulthi–3. Birsa Kulthi, Primary productivity, Crop Biomass KEYWORDS ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION 70 H orsegram (Dolichos biflorus L.) or Kulthi is native to old world tropics, and is extensively cultivated in dry areas in India, Australia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Himalayas. It is one of the rich source proteins to the common man ( ). It is also grown to provide feed and fodder for cattle and horses. Horsegram possesses medicinal properties also. Plant is an annual herb, slender, with slightly twining branches, semi-erect, low growing habit 30–50 cm high. Pods are short, 3–5 cm long, linear, with secured beak and 5–7 seeds. Seeds are flattened, rhomboidal 3–6 mm long, light red brown, black or mottled. In India, it occupies 1.88 million ha with a production of 0.89 million tonnes. It is extensively grown in dry areas of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat; in northern parts, it is cultivated in Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and foot-hills of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhotanagpur and Assam hills. Horsegram or Kulthi is extensively used in south India as feed for cattle and horses in the same ways as other pulses are used in north India. The seeds are cooked before feeding. Stems, leaves and split husk are also used as cattle feed ( ). Horsegram is a valuable protein supplement to bulky straw fodders ( ). The declining diversity in crop species contributing to the world's food supplies has been considered a potential threat to food security ( ). and this dependency on few crops for ensuring food and nutritional security has been challenged with a greater need for diversification as potential future crops ( ). Keeping in view the importance of crop in the area, the present study is done to know the standing biomass and primary productivity of Horsegram /Kulthi. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study area was confined to agro-ecosystem situated near east of Hazaribagh 0 0 town which is 134 km from Ranchi, Jharkhand (23 55' North latitude and 85 25' East longitude). STANDING CROP BIOMASS The first sampling of different varieties of Horse gram/ Kulthi i.e., Birsa Kulthi–1, Birsa Kulthi–2 and Birsa Kulthi–3 was done after 15 days of the emergence of seeding. Samplings were taken at the interval between 15 days of two successive samplings. At each sampling date five plants were selected randomly and were dug out individually up to a depth of 30 cm. Monoliths of the sampled plants were washed carefully to remove soil from the root system. Sampled plants were cut out 0 to separate their component parts. Plants were dried in oven at 80 C for 48 hours. The dried samples were weighed. The average dry weight of five plants was 2 estimated and biomass was expressed in g/m . The standard deviation was calculated for all the mean value. NET PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY The rate of dry matter production by green plants is termed as "gross primary productivity" and the rate of storage of organic matter in the body of producer organisms, i.e. green plants, in excess of respiratory break down of potential chemical energy is known as "net primary productivity" ( ). Singh et al.,-2012a Singh et al.,- 2015 Singh et al.,-2012b Khoury et al., - 2014 Mabhaudhi et al., -2015 Odum, 1971 ARTICLE INFO Received on Accepted on Published online 25-12-2019 27-03-2020 10-06-2020 : : :