Inclusion of legume and integrated use of organic and inorganic nutrient sources can improve the productivity and qualitative traits of oats straw

Abstract

Production of high tonnage of nutritive fodder/feed for livestock’s remains a challenge in arid and semi-arid ecologies. Identification of some alternate sources of feed/fodder such as oats straw may provide an option to bridge the gap existed between demand and supply of dry crop residues. Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers to boost the food/fodder production leads to losses of nutrients from agro-ecosystem causing global climate variability. Nutrient management tailored with integrated use of organic and inorganic sources may be a viable option to improve forage yield and quality. Therefore, to circumvent the aforesaid challenges, the present study was conducted to determine the effects of different legume diversified cropping systems and integrated nutrient management (INM) practices on productivity and quality of oats straw. The findings revealed that inclusion of legume (cowpea) in the rotation and integrated application of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients via 75% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF)+Zn + plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)+residual farm yard manure (R-FYM) and 100%RDF + Zn + R-FYM significantly increased the productivity and primary fodder quality traits {Crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE) and total ash yield)} which eventually aids in the fulfillment of qualitative fodder deficit. Further, with inclusion of legume in the rotation and co-application of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients significant reduction in fiber fractions such as {neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL) and hemi-cellulose (HC)} and their associated protein fractions were observed. The cultivation of oats after legume with integrated nutrient management also improved nutritive/energy indices. Overall, cultivation of oats after legume and integrated nutrient management embedded with chemical fertilizers, organic manure and (PGPR) can be a sustainable strategy to improve the productivity and qualitative traits pf oat straw under semi-arid condition of India.