STANDARDIZATION OF SEED RATE AND TIME OF HARVEST FOR DIFFERENT FODDER CROPS UNDER HYDROPONIC FODDER PRODUCTION
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Date
2018-08-01
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University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore
Abstract
Experiments were conducted to standardize the seed rate and time of harvest for different fodder crops viz., fodder maize, fodder bajra and fodder cowpea under hydroponic fodder production at ZARS, V. C. Farm, Mandya, UAS, Bengaluru during 2017. The study consisted of three seed rates ( 200 g ft-2, 300 g ft-2 and 400 g ft-2) and four time of harvests (9th, 11th, 13th and 15th day after sowing). The experiment was laid out in completely randomized design with factorial concept with 36 treatment combinations which were repeated four times. The experimental results revealed that the seed rate of 400 g ft-2 at 15th day harvest recorded significantly higher yield parameters viz., green fodder yield (19.52 kg m-2, 20.61 kg m-2 and 22.27 kg m-2 respectively) and dry matter yield (1.91 kg m-2, 1.54 kg m-2 and 2.67 kg m-2 respectively) in fodder maize, fodder bajra and fodder cowpea. The similar treatment combination recorded higher quality parameters viz., crude protein yield, crude fiber content and carbohydrate content in fodder maize (0.29 kg m-2, 16.90% and 49.91% respectively), fodder bajra (0.23 kg m-2 11.49% and 50.22%, respectively) and fodder cowpea (0.78 kg m-2, 12.75% and 50.43%, respectively). The higher net returns of fodder maize (Rs.140.70 m-2) and fodder bajra (Rs. 235.96 m-2) recorded at the seed rate 400 g ft-2 at 13th day harvest. However, fodder cowpea has recorded higher net returns (Rs.128.72 m-2) with the seed rate 300 g ft-2 at 13th day of harvest.