POTENTIAL FODDER PRODUCTIVITY, QUALITY AND RELATIVE ECONOMICS OF MULTI-CUT OAT GENOTYPES UNDER DIFFERENT LEVELS OF NITROGEN
R. S. SHEORAN, SATPAL, J. TOKAS, B. S. DUHAN AND Y. JINDAL
Forage Section, Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding
CCS Haryana Agricultural University,
Hisar-125 004 (Haryana), India
*(e-mail : satpal.fpj@gmail.com)
(Received : 13 November 2017; Accepted : 15 December 2017)
SUMMARY
A two-factor field experiment consisting of five multi-cut oat genotypes and three nitrogen levels was conducted at Forage Section Research Farm, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar during winter season (rabi) of 2015-16. Oat genotypes JO-4-317 and OL-1802 were compared with three checks viz., Kent, RO-19 and UPO-212. The nitrogen levels were 40, 80 and 120 kg per hectare. Among various genotypes, the test entry OL-1802 proved to be significantly superior for green fodder (460.2 q/ha) and dry matter yield (91.0 q/ha) to rest of the entries except RO-19 (424.1 q/ha GFY and 83.5 q/ha DMY) which remained statistically at par. Number of tillers/m row length, green fodder and dry matter yield were influenced significantly with increasing levels of nitrogen from 40 to 120 kg/ha, whereas plant height was increased up to 80 kg N/ha only. Crude protein content and its yield increased with increasing levels of nitrogen, maximum being with the application of 120 kg N/ha. Among genotypes, the maximum gross returns (Rs. 57613/ha), net returns (Rs. 21535/ha) and B : C ratio (1.60) were recorded with OL-1802, whereas the application of 120 kg nitrogen/ha realized the maximum gross returns (Rs. 58988/ha), net returns (Rs. 22428/ha) and B : C ratio (1.61).
Key words: Oat, forage yield, dry matter, nitrogen levels, crude protein, IVDMD, net returns