Effect of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients on sorghum sudan grass hybrid oat cropping system

Abstract

newline A field experiment entitled Effect of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients on sorghum sudan grass hybrid-oat cropping system was conducted at Research Farm of Department of Agronomy, Forages and Grassland Management, CSK, Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur from Kharif 2017 to Rabi 2018-19. Soil of the experimental site was silty clay loam in texture, acidic in reaction, medium in organic carbon, available phosphorus and available potassium and low in available nitrogen. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with two factors and replicated thrice. The treatments consisted of four levels of FYM and biofertilizers viz. control, FYM at10 t ha-1, Azotobacter+ PSB and FYM at10 t ha-1 + Azotobacter + PSB and four levels of fertilizers viz. no fertilizer, 50, 75 and 100 per cent of recommended fertilizer. Significantly highest plant height, shoots per square meter and dry matter accumulation of sorghum sudan grass hybrid and oat was observed with application of FYM at10 t ha-1 + Azotobacter + PSB than rest of the organic treatments, though this treatment was at par with FYM at10 t ha-1 for leaf stem ratio. Similarly, plant height, shoots per square meter and dry matter accumulation increased with increasing fertilizer levels with highest values recorded with application of 100 per cent of recommended fertilizer though the increase in leaf stem ratio was significant only up to 75 per cent of recommended fertilizer. Significantly highest total green fodder, dry fodder, crude protein, acid detergent fibre and neutral detergent fibre yields and net returns were recorded with the application FYM at10 t ha-1 + Azotobacter+ PSB as well as 100 per cent of recommended fertilizer. Application of FYM at10 t ha-1 + Azotobacter+ PSB resulted in higher benefit cost ratio, while, significantly highest benefit cost ratio was recorded with 100 per cent of recommended fertilizer. Crude protein content was significantly higher with application of FYM at10 t ha-1 + Azotobacter+ PSB as well as