Sadhu, A. C.REDDY, B. PAVAN KUMAR2018-05-212018-05-212004http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810046807A field experiment was conducted at the Main Forage Research Station farm, Anand Agricultural University, Anand to find out the " EFFECT OF FARM YARD MANURE AND FERTILITY LEVELS ON FORAGE YIELD AND QUALITY OF LUCERNE (Medicago saliva L)" during rabi season of 2003. The soil of the experimental plot was sandy loam in texture having good drainage with 7.6 pH. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with four replications. Twelve treatment combinations comprised three levels of farm yard manure (0 t FYM/ha, 10 t FYM/ha and 20 t FYM/ha) and four fertility levels (No fertilizer, 25 Kg N/ha + 25 Kg K2O/ha applied basally at sowing, 50 Kg N/ha + 50 Kg K20/ha applied basally at sowing, 50Kg N/ha + 50 Kg KaO/ha applied in split i.e., 50 per cent at sowing and 50 per cent after first cut). The results indicated that application of 20 t FYM/ha (F2) recorded the highest plant height and leaf: stem ratio, which was at par with treatment 10 t FYM/ha. but significantly superior than 0 t FYM/ha. However, the effect of FYM levels on number of tillers per meter row and dry weight of nodules per plant was found non-significant. Green forage and dry matter yields of lucerne were significantly influenced by FYM levels in second cut, third cut, fifth cut, as wall as in total yield of five cuts. In second cut, application of 20 t FYM/ha significantly increased the green forage and dry matter yields than all other FYM levels. During third cut, fifth cut and in total yield of five cuts, the highest green forage yield produced in treatment of 20 t FYM/ha was at par with application of 10 t FYM/ha, but significantly higher than no FYM application. Application of 20 t FYM/ha recorded the highest dry matter yield in third and fifth cuts and it was at par with 10 t FYM/ha. However, in total of five cuts, 201 FYM/ha recorded significantly higher dry matter yield than other FYM levels. Application of 20 t FYM/ha recorded significantly higher crude protein content in first, second, third and fifth cuts, as well as in average of five cuts than treatments of 10 t FYM/ha and 0 t FYM/ha. However, the crude protein yield in first, second, third and fifth cuts as well as in total yield over five cuts was significantly increased only up to 10 t FYM/ha and the treatment of 201 FYM/ha was found at par with 10 t FYM/ha. Application of 20t FYM/ha produced significantly higher nitrogen content in first, second, third and fifth cuts than 10 t FYM/ha and 0 t FYM/ha. The treatments 0 t FYM/ha and 10 t FYM/ha were found at par in nitrogen content during third and fifth cuts. Similarly application of 20 t FYM/ha recorded significantly higher nitrogen uptake than other treatments in second cut. In first, third and fifth cuts, 20 t FYM/ha being at par with 10 t FYM/ha gave significantly higher nitrogen uptake than 0 t FYM/ha. Application of 20 t FYM/ha recorded significantly higher P content during first, third, fourth and fifth cuts than other treatments. However, during second cut and in average of five cuts, 20 t FYM/ha being at par with treatment 10 t FYM/ha recorded significantly higher P content than that in 0 t FYM/ha. During third cut, fifth cut and in total P uptake over five cuts, 20 t FYM/ha being at par with 10 t FYM/ha recorded significantly higher P uptake than 0 t FYM/ha. Potassium content and uptake of lucerne were significantly increased by FYM application. Application of 20 t FYM/ha was found significantly superior to other FYM levels in potassium content during all the individual cuts, as well as in average of five cuts, while treatment of 20 t FYM/ha gave significantly higher potassium uptake than 0 t FYM/ha and 10 t FYM/ha during second cut, third cut, fourth cut, fifth cut and in total of five cuts. Fertility levels significantly influenced the growth and yield attributes as well as content and uptake of plant nutrients of lucerne. During second, fourth and fifth cuts, treatment 50 Kg N/ha + 50 Kg KaO/ha applied basally at sowing (NK2) being at par with treatment 50 Kg N/ha + 50 Kg KaO/ha applied as split (NK3) produced significantly higher plant height than treatments NKo and NKi. However, treatment NK2 produced significantly higher plant height than all other fertility levels in average of five cuts. Fertility levels did not have any significant influence on the number of tillers per meter row while, the leaf: stem ratio and dry weight of nodules per plant of lucerne were significantly affected by fertility levels. In the first, fourth and fifth cuts, treatment NK2 recorded significantly higher leaf: stem ratio than treatment NKo only. However, during second cut and third cut, as well as in average of five cuts, treatment NK2 recorded significantly higher leaf: stem ratio than all other fertility levels. No N and K fertilizers treatment gave significantly higher dry weight of nodules per plant than all other treatments during all the individual cuts and in average of five cuts, while significantly the lowest dry weight of nodules per plant was recorded in treatment NK2 (50 Kg N/ha + 50 Kg KaO/ha applied at sowing). The green forage yield of lucerne was significantly influenced by fertility levels in first, second, third and fourth cuts, as well as in total yield over five cuts. Application of 50 Kg N/ha + 50 Kg K20/ha applied at sowing (NK2) produced significantly higher green forage yield than no fertilizer treatment (NKo) during first cut and than treatments NKo and NK1 during fourth cut, but recorded significantly higher green forage yield than all other fertility levels during second and third cuts. In case of total green forage yield over five cuts, the highest green forage yield was recorded in treatment NK2, which was significantly higher than all other treatments, while treatment NK0 and NK1 were at par but significantly lower than treatment NK3. Fertility levels significantly affected the dry matter yield of lucerne. In first cut, treatment NK2 was at par with treatment NK1, but produced significantly higher dry matter yield than treatments NK0 and NK3. During second, third, fourth and fifth cut, as well as in total yield of five cuts, treatment NK2 produced significantly higher dry matter yield than that in all other treatments. Crude protein yield as well as crude protein content of lucerne were significantly affected by fertility levels. During all the individual cuts, as well as in total yield over five cuts, treatment NK2 gave significantly the highest crude protein yield than other fertility levels. The treatments NK1 and NK3 being at par with each other were also found significantly superior in crude protein yield to treatment NKo except in fifth cut. In first and fifth cuts, treatment NK2 recorded significantly higher crude protein content than in all other treatments, while, in third cut treatments NK2 and NK3 being at par recorded significantly higher crude protein content than treatments NKo and NK1. In second cut, fourth cut and in average of five cuts, the highest crude protein content recorded in treatment NK2 was significantly higher than that in treatments NK1 and NK3, which were at par with each other. Chemical analysis of forage samples revealed that the content and uptake of the major nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium of lucerne were significantly affected by fertility levels at all the individual cuts as well as in average content and total uptake of nutrients over five cuts. During all individual cuts and in average of five cuts, treatment NK2 recorded significantly higher nitrogen content than in all other fertility levels except treatment NK3 in third cut. The treatments NK1 and NK3 were at par during second, fourth and in average of five cuts. Similarly, treatment NK2 recorded significantly higher nitrogen uptake than other treatments during individual cuts, as well as in total over five cuts, while the treatments NK1 and NK3 were at par, but significantly higher than treatment NKo, except in fifth cut. Treatment NK2 recorded significantly higher phosphorus content than all other fertility levels in all the cuts and in average over five cuts than other treatments, while treatment NKo recorded the least phosphorus content. However, during second, third and fifth cuts treatments NK1 and NK3 were at par with each other. Similarly in phosphorus uptake, during all the individual cuts, as well as in total uptake over five cuts, treatment NK2 was significantly superior than other treatments, while treatment NK1 and NK3 were at par except in third cut. Significantly the lowest phosphorus uptake was obtained in treatment NK0. Potassium content in first cut and third cut was significantly higher in treatment NK2 than that in all other treatments, while treatments NK1 and NK3 were at par during first cut. However, during second and fourth cuts treatment NK2 was at par with treatment NK3. During fifth cut and in average of five cut treatment NK2 was significantly higher in potassium content than all other treatments, while treatment NK3 was found superior to treatment NK1. Treatment NK2 recorded significantly the highest potassium uptake than other treatments, while it was at par with treatment NK3 during third and fifth cuts. In first cut and total uptake over five cuts, treatment NK2 registered the highest potassium uptake, which was at par with treatment NK3 but significantly higher than treatment NK1.Significantly the lowest potassium uptake was recorded in treatment NKo. During the course of investigation, interaction effect between FYM and fertility levels was found significant for the ancillary observations like plant height, leaf: stem ratio and dry weight of nodules per plant. The treatment combinations f1NK2 (10 t FYM/ha + 50 kg N/ha + 50 kg K20/ha applied at sowing) and F2NK2 (20 t FYM/ha + 50 kg N/ha + 50 kg K20/ha applied at sowing) recorded the highest plant height in average of five cuts, which was significantly higher than other treatment combinations except F2NK1 and F2NK3. Leaf: stem ratio was significantly influenced by the interaction between FYM and fertility levels during second, third, fourth and fifth cut, as well as in average of five cuts and treatment combination F2NK2 recorded significantly higher leaf : stem ratio than all other treatment combination except F1NK1 in fifth cut. Application of 20 t FYM/ha + No fertilizer (F2NK0) recorded significantly higher dry weight of nodules per plant than all other treatment combinations in all the individual cuts, while in average of five cuts, treatment combination F2NK0 being at par with F1NKo recorded higher dry weight of nodules per plant than all other treatment combinations. The lowest dry weight of nodules per plant was recorded where 0 t FYM/ha + 50 kg N/ha + 50 kg K20/ha applied at sowing (F0NK2). Green forage yield was not influenced significantly by the interaction effect of FYM and fertility levels, while dry matter yield was significantly affected by interaction effect of FYM and fertility levels in third cut only. Treatment combination F2NK2 produced the highest dry matter yield of 22.5 q/ha and it was at par with the dry matter yield in treatment combination F1NK2, F2NK3 and F1NK3, but significantly higher than all other treatment combinations. Crude protein yield was significantly influenced by interaction effect between FYM and fertility levels in second and third cuts and treatment combination F2NK2 was significantly superior in crude protein yield than all other treatment combinations except F1NK2 in third cut. Interaction effect of FYM and fertility levels on crude protein content was found significant in first, second, third and fifth cuts and treatment combination F2NK2 recorded the highest crude protein content, which was significantly higher than all other treatment combinations in first and second cuts. Interaction effect of FYM and fertility levels significantly affected nitrogen content in first, second and fifth cuts, while nitrogen uptake was significantly affected during second and third cuts. Treatment combination F2NK2 significantly higher nitrogen content than all other treatment combinations except F1NK) in fifth cut. The lowest nitrogen content was recorded in treatment combination F0NKO in all the three cuts. The highest nitrogen content was obtained in treatment combination F2NK2, which was significantly higher than all other treatment combinations except F1NK2 during third cut, while the least nitrogen uptake in both the cuts was obtained in treatment combinations FONKQ. Phosphorus content was not influenced by interaction effect of FYM and fertility levels, while phosphorus uptake was affected significantly by interaction between FYM and fertility level in third cut only and treatment combination F2NK2 recorded significantly higher phosphorus uptake than all other treatment combinations except F1NK2. The least phosphorus uptake was recorded in treatment combination FoNKo. Potassium content was significantly influenced by interaction between FYM and fertility levels. During first, third, fourth, fifth and average of five cuts, treatment combination F2NK2 recorded significantly higher potassium content than all other treatment combinations. The lowest potassium content in all the cuts was recorded in treatment combinations F0NKO. Interaction effect between FYM and fertility levels was found significant at first, second and third cuts only in case of potassium uptake and treatment combination F2NK2 recorded significantly higher potassium uptake than in all other treatment combinations except F2NK3 in first cut. The least potassium uptake in all the three cuts was obtained in treatment combinations FoNKo. Application of 10 t FYM/ha recorded higher net realization of Rs.26, 181.50 and higher B.C.R. value of 1.79. Among different fertility levels, application of 50 kg N/ha + 50 kg K2O/ha applied basally at sowing resulted in higher net realization (Rs.28, 031.50) and higher B.C.R. (1.95). Among the different treatment combinations, the maximum net realization of Rs. 26, 587.30 was obtained in treatment combination F2NK2, while higher B.C.R. value (1.40) was obtained in treatment combination F1NK2.enAGRONOMY, AGRICULTUREA STUDYThesis