Growing guide
How to grow berseem
The dairy farm’s winter fodder: five or six cuts of protein-rich green feed from October to April.
At a glance
- Planting window
- Late September – mid-October
- Duration
- October to April, 5–6 cuts
- Climate
- 15–25 °C
- Soil
- Loam to clay loam; pH 6.5–8
- Water need
- High · about 450–600 mm a season
- Seed
- 8–10 kg per acre, free of chicory (kasni) weed seed
- Yield
- 280–350 quintals of green fodder per acre over the season.
What to do, and when
Dates assume planting around 5 Oct. Change the plan to shift them.
- Day 0 — Sow in standing water: Inoculated, weed-free seed.
- Month 2 — First cut: About 5 cm above ground.
- Months 3–7 — Cut every 30–40 days: Irrigate after each cut.
Varieties to consider
Buy certified seed or planting material from an authorised source.
- Mescavi and multi-cut releases — Ask your KVK for the current HAU/PAU recommendation.
Water
- Light irrigations every 8–12 days in winter, 6–8 in spring.
- Never let it go short at: After every cut
Nutrition
- Dose: About 20–25 kg N and 60–80 kg P₂O₅ per hectare at sowing
- All at sowing; phosphorus drives yield.
Pests and diseases to watch
Prevent first; spray only when needed, with a product registered for the crop, at label dose.
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What would you like to do next?
Where these numbers come from
- ICAR / state university general recommendation A typical range for irrigated conditions. Your soil test decides the final dose.
- Common grower practice in north India Widely followed by farmers; confirm with your KVK for your block.