Productivity and Quality of Fodder Oats ( <i>Avena sativa</i> L.) as influenced by Sowing Time, Cutting Schedules and Nitrogen Levels

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Agronomy Farm, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur, (Rajasthan) during rabi seasons of 2016–17 and 2017–18 to study the effect of sowing time (25th October and 25th November), cutting schedules (cut at 50 DAS, cut at 60 DAS and cut at 70 DAS) and nitrogen levels (80, 100 and 120 kg ha−1) on productivity and quality of fodder oats. It was revealed that early sown crop on 25th October recorded significantly higher green (36.4 t ha−1) and dry (8.0 t ha−1) fodder yield as well as green (611 kg ha−1 day−1) and dry (134 kg ha−1 day−1) fodder production efficiency and quality parameters viz. ether extract (2.52%). Among different cutting schedules, cutting at 70 DAS recorded significantly higher green (37.8 t ha−1) and dry (8.3 t ha−1) fodder yield. However, cut at 50 DAS proved significantly better in terms of green (628.7kg ha−1 day1) and dry (137.0 kg ha−1 day−1) fodder production efficiency as well as quality parameters viz. crude protein (12.3%) and ether extract (2.56%). Application of 120kg N ha−1 gave significantly higher green (36.5 t ha−1), dry (8.0 t ha−1) fodderyield and green (613.5 t ha−1), dry (34.4 t ha−1) fodder production efficiency and quality parameters viz. crude protein (12.1%) and ether extract (2.53%). It is concluded that among sowing times 25th October, among cutting schedule 50 DAS and among nitrogen levels 120 kg N ha−1 is the best treatment for recoding maximum value of green and dry fodder production efficiency and ether extract.