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SweetSix - Kern 716

SweetSix (Kern 716) is an F1 multicut bajra (pearl millet) bred for Kharif green fodder, giving repeat cuts from one sowing.

Season: Kharif
Sowing window: fodder bajra can be sown from March to August (PAU). Sow by the end of March or early April for fodder in the May–June gap (HAU), or with the first monsoon rain in June–July for the Kharif crop
Soil: well-drained sandy loam, pH 6.0–7.5. Give 2–3 ploughings and planking for a fine tilth; bajra is sensitive to waterlogging

Seed rate: 4–5 kg per acre — a 500 g pack covers about one kanal (one-eighth acre)
Spacing: sow in rows 60–75 cm apart
Depth: shallow, about 2.5 cm (PAU), in good moisture by pora or kera; do not broadcast
With cowpea: for richer fodder, sow one row of cowpea after every two rows of bajra (HAU)
Pack size: 500 g

Soil test first: use urea, DAP and other macro and micronutrients as per your soil test report
Without a soil test: 10 tonnes FYM before land preparation, and 20 kg N (44 kg urea) in two doses — half at sowing and half about 3 weeks later when the crop is 10–15 cm tall (PAU). On phosphorus-poor soils add phosphorus at sowing by soil test (ICAR fodder-bajra practice: about 10 kg P₂O₅ per acre)
After each cut: good fertiliser management after each cut keeps regrowth going — irrigate and top-dress about 20 kg N (44 kg urea) per acre

Irrigation: irrigate regularly in the early growth stages. Usually 2–3 irrigations, more in the hot season — light and frequent, never standing water (PAU). Irrigate about a week before each cut and soon after it
Weeds: one hoeing at 15–20 days keeps the young crop clean
Diseases: watch for downy mildew, rust and smut. Do not let the crop flower — ergot (honeydew on ears) makes the fodder unsafe for animals
Pests: watch for shoot fly and stem borer; grasshoppers, grey weevil and pyrilla also feed on bajra. Spray only when needed, as per label and your state advisory, and keep the waiting period before feeding

First cut: when the crop is 50–60 cm tall, about 50–55 days after sowing
Next cuts: every 30–35 days
Stage: cut at ear initiation or soon after the flag leaf shows — never beyond 50% earing (PAU); leave a stubble so the crowns regrow

सीज़न	खरीफ · F1 मल्टीकट चारा बाजरा
बुवाई	मार्च अंत – अप्रैल (गर्मी का चारा) या जून–जुलाई मानसून पर; मार्च से अगस्त तक संभव
बीज दर	4–5 किग्रा/एकड़
दूरी	कतार से कतार 60–75 सेमी · गहराई लगभग 2.5 सेमी
खाद (प्रति एकड़)	मिट्टी जाँच अनुसार यूरिया, DAP व सूक्ष्म पोषक तत्व · बिना जाँच: गोबर खाद 10 टन, N 20 किग्रा दो बार में · हर कटाई के बाद N 20 किग्रा
सिंचाई	शुरुआती बढ़वार में नियमित; हल्की और बार-बार, 2–3 सिंचाई (गर्मी में ज़्यादा); कटाई से एक हफ़्ता पहले और बाद में
कटाई	पहली कटाई 50–60 सेमी ऊँचाई पर (50–55 दिन), फिर हर 30–35 दिन; बाली निकलने से पहले
पैक	500 ग्राम