Senji or Indian sweet clover is important forage legume crop. Its yellow and white variety is used for fodder purpose. It contains 60% of digestion nutrients and 16.57% crude protein.

It can be grown on variety of soil but gives best results when grown on loamy to heavy soils.

Senji safed 76 : It is a white flowering variety and its average yield is 128q/acre.

YSL 106 : It is a yellow flowering variety and its average yield is 128q/acre.

Other state varieties:

FOS 1: Medium duration, disease free variety having yellow flowers. Gives average yield of 76 qtl/acre.

HFWS 55: Medium duration, disease free variety having white flower. Gives average yield of 112 qtl/acre.

One Ploughing is sufficient for cultivation of senji crop. After ploughing do planking to make soil levelled.

Time of sowing
Best time for sowing of YSL variety is from last week of September to last week of October. Whereas for Senji Safed, complete sowing in second fortnight of November.

Spacing
For sowing broadcasting method is used.

Sowing Depth
Use broadcasting method.

Method of sowing
For sowing broadcasting method is used.

Seed Rate
It requires 15 kg of husk seed for sowing one acre of land. After sowing, give one light irrigation.

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

Nitrogen Requirement (kg/acre)

At time sowing, add Phosphorus@25kg/acre in form of SSP@155kg/acre.

For good growth it required total two to three irrigations.

• Pest and their control:

Weevil: If infestation is observed, spray crop with Malathion 50EC@400ml/100-150Ltrs of water per acre.

Black Aphid: If infestation is observed, spray crop with Malathion 50EC@400ml/150Ltrs of water per acre.

For fodder purpose, harvest crop at its full blossom. Do not take cuttings for crops which are grown for seed purpose. Crop gets mature in month of March.

1.Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana

2.Department of Agriculture

3.Indian Agricultural Research Instittute, New Delhi

4.Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research

5.Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare