Field experiment was conducted during 2009-10 at Instructional Dairy Farm, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar to study the effect of tillage options on growth, forage yield and forage quality of berseem. The experimental site was silty loam in texture with 0.84% organic carbon and neutral in soil reaction (soil pH 7.1). The available N, P205 and K20 was 365, 36, 145 and kg/ha, respectively. The experiment consisted of 8 tillage options i.e. T1, Conventional tillage with 3 cultivation (one disc harrow+2 cultivator), T2, 2 Cultivation (1 disc harrow+1 cultivator), T3, 2 cultivation with Rotavator, T4, 1 cultivation with disc harrow, T5, 1 cultivation with Rotavator, T6, Broadcast seed before T3, T7, Broadcast Seed before T5, and T8, Zero tillage. The existing cropping system of the region i.e. ‘Sorghum- Wheat-Maize+Cowpea’ was grown with all recommended agro-techniques of all crops of the system. The conventional tillage gave highest green fodder yield equivalents, dry fodder yield, crude protein, net profit as well as B:C ratio followed by reduced tillage with broadcasting of seed before 2 cultivation with rotavator with respect of net profit and B:C ratio. Therefore conventional tillage or two pass of rotavator may be recommended for higher productivity, profitability and quality fodder production in Molliusols.

Keywords Crude Protein; Net Return; Productivity; Profitability; Tillage Options.