EFFECT OF DUAL PURPOSE VARIETIES, CUTTING SCHEDULES AND FERTILITY LEVELS ON NUTRIENT CONTENT, UPTAKE, QUALITY AND YIELD OF BARLEY (HORDIUM VULGARE L.)
NIRMALA K. MEENA, J. CHOUDHARY* AND HANSRAM MALI
Department of Agronomy
Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture & Technology,
Udaipur-313 001 (Rajasthan), India
*(e-mail : jaggiudr@gmail.com)
(Received : 5 July 2016; Accepted : 25 September 2016)
SUMMARY
A field experiment was conducted at Instructional Farm, Department of Agronomy, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur (Rajasthan) during the rabi season of 2013-14. The experiment consisted combinations of two dual purpose barley varieties (RD 2715 and RD 2552), three cutting schedules (40, 50 and 60 DAS) and three fertility levels (RDF : 60 kg N+20 kg P2O5/ha, RDF+25% extra ¬N and RDF+50% extra N). These 18 treatment combinations were evaluated under factorial randomized block design with three replications. The results revealed that variety RD 2552 recorded significantly higher N, P, K content and uptake by green fodder, grain and straw as compared to RD 2715. The significant improvement in total digestible nutrient (63.58%) and protein content (2.70%) of green fodder, grain (9.27%) and straw (1.66%) of variety RD 2552 over RD 2715 but mineral ash, crude fiber and green fodder yield were highest in RD 2715 as compared to RD 2552. Variety RD 2552 recorded significantly higher grain, straw and biological yield over RD 2715. Cutting of green fodder done at 60 DAS recorded highest N, P , K and protein content in green fodder, grain and straw compared to 40 and 50 DAS. The grain, straw and biological yield as well as nutrient uptake by grain and straw were significantly increased when green fodder was cut at 40 DAS, while cutting at 60 DAS recorded the highest nutrient uptake by green fodder. The mineral ash and crude fiber in green fodder were higher when green fodder was cut at 60 DAS as compared to earlier cutting. The maximum N, P, K content and uptake in grain and straw were estimated under application of RDF+50 per cent extra ¬N. While, N uptake by green fodder recorded higher under application of RDF+25 per cent extra ¬N but it was at par with RDF+50 per cent extra N. The highest protein content in green fodder, grain and straw was recorded under RDF+50 per cent extra N, the same trend was observed in regards of TDN and mineral ash content in green fodder. Effect of 50 per cent extra nitrogen application on yield attributes was also reflected on yield and ultimately produced the highest green fodder (29.78 t/ha), grain (3.56 t/ha), straw (6.86 t/ha) and biological yield (10.42 t/ha).
Key words: Barley, cutting schedules, N, P and K content, uptake, protein content, TDN, mineral ash, crude fiber, yield, RDF