STUDY ON CULTURAL PRACTICES AND CHEMICAL EVALUATION OF PERENNIAL FODDER VARIETIES SUITABLE UNDER LOW IRRIGATION INPUT CONDITIONS
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Date
2008-09
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SRI VENKATESWARA VETERINARY UNIVERSITY , TIRUPATI – 517 502 ,A.P
Abstract
ABSTRACT:
The present investigation was attempted to study the cultural practices and yield of 21 perennial fodder varieties being cultivated in the fodder bank of Department of Livestock Production and Management, College of Veterinary Science, Tirupati and to evaluate the varieties best suited for low irrigation input areas of scarce rainfall zone and to evaluate the chemical composition, cell wall constituents, protein and carbohydrate fractions to predict the energy content of the selected varieties and to evaluate the selected varieties for nutrient digestibility using four male buffalo calves by 4 x 4 Latin Square Design.
Co-3, APBN-1 and Co-63 among the Napier varieties and Congo signal among the Guinea varieties required least irrigation input.
Co-3, APBN-1 and Co-63 among the Napier varieties and Congo signal among the Guinea varieties recorded highest annual tonnage per acre as well as tonnage per cut per acre and also leaf area index. There was no significant difference among Co-3, APBN-1 and Co-63 but they differed significantly (P<0.01) with the remaining varieties in respect of LAI and yield per cut per acre.
Congo signal among Guinea varieties and Co-63, APBN-1 and Co-3 among Napier varieties had higher (P<0.01) leaf to stem ratio.
APBN-1 had the highest CP content (8.04) followed by Co-3 (6.59), Congo signal (3.66) and Co-63 (3.34).
Evaluation of the four selected varieties i.e., APBN-1, Co-3, Congo signal and Co-63 in growing buffalo calves in a 4 x 4 Latin Square Design revealed that there were no significant differences in the digestibility of nutrients and plane of nutrition of buffalo calves. The TDN content of the selected varieties arrived at by in vivo digestibility trial was comparable to the TDN values predicted as per NRC (2001).
Based on nutritive value and plane of nutrition, all the four varieties met the maintenance requirements of growing buffalo calves, however, APBN-1 and Co-3 were superior to Congo signal and Co-63 by virtue of their higher DCP content.
Based on results of present study it was concluded that by virtue of low irrigation inputs, higher yield and better nutritive value APBN-1, Co-3 and Co-63 among Napier varieties and Congo signal among Guinea varieties may be recommended for scarce rainfall areas
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Keywords
PERENNIAL FODDER VARIETIES; cultural practices; CHEMICAL EVALUATION;