DIGVIJAY SINGH*, ALKA CHOUDHARY AND VINOD UIKEY
Animal Nutrition Group
National Dairy Development Board
Anand-338 001 (Gujarat), India
*(e-mail : dsingh@nddb.coop)
(Received : 28 July 2020; Accepted : 18 August 2020)
SUMMARY
The present investigation was carried out in the Fodder Demonstration Unit of NDDB, Anand (Gujarat) during winter season (Rabi) in 2016-17 and 2017-18. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications consisting of 10 berseem varieties (9 notified and 1 exotic). In pooled analysis of two years data, notified varieties HB-2 and BL-42 statistically at par with each other recorded significantly higher green fodder and dry matter yield of 55.91 t/ha and 10.73 t/ha, respectively over exotic Egyptian variety Miskawi. In berseem varieties mean green fodder, dry matter and crude protein yields ranged between 40.46-55.91, 8.70-10.71 and 1.35-1.82 t/ha, respectively. Significantly lower crude protein content (%) was observed in exotic variety Miskawi (15.92) as compared to notified varieties HB-2 (17.93) and JB-5 (17.65). Dry matter and crude fibre content (%) were recorded higher in BB-2 (21.73) and BL-1 (23.30), respectively. Exotic Miskawi variety recorded highest crude fat content (2.15 %). Higher N and Ca content (%) were recorded in HB-2 (2.87) and JB-5 (1.53) varieties, respectively. Except for Cu, notified berseem varieties were found to have significantly higher macro & micro-nutrients content (N, Ca, Zn, Fe and Mn) in comparison to Miskawi. Mean N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S content (%) among berseem varieties ranged between 2.87-2.53, 0.32-0.34, 1.23-1.63, 1.24-1.53, 0.42-0.47 and 0.24-0.29, respectively. On the basis of pooled data, notified berseem varieties (HB-2, JB-5 and BL-42) were found to be superior over Egyptian variety Miskawi for green fodder & dry matter yields, quality and nutrients content.
Key words:Berseem, fodder yield, dry matter, varieties, proximate, minerals, nutrient uptake