Quality of oat fodder (Avena sativa L.) As influenced by different doses of nitrogen, cutting management and splitting of nitrogen

Abstract

A field trail was carried out to examine the nitrogen and cutting effect on growth, yield and quality of fodder oat (Avena sativa L.) during 2018-19. Three levels of nitrogen viz. 100, 120 and 140 kg N ha-1 in main plot and four cutting management with splitting of nitrogen viz. two cuttings (50 DAS and 50% flowering) + 60% N as basal + 40% N at 1st cut, two cuttings + 50% N as basal + 50% N at 1st cut, three cuttings (50 DAS, 35-40 days after 1st cut and 35- 40 days after 2nd cut) + 50% N as basal + 25% N at 1st cut + 25% N at 2nd cut and three cuttings + 40% N as basal + 30% N at 1st cut + 30% N at 2nd cut were laid out in split plot design with three replications. Results revealed that application of 140 kg N ha-1 obtained the highest ash content, ash yield, crude fibre content, crude fibre yield, crude protein content as compared to 120 and 100 kg N ha-1. As regards to cutting management and splitting of nitrogen, ash yield, crude fibre content, crude fibre yield, crude protein content were found maximum under three cuttings + N50% B + N25% 1stcut + N25% 2nd cut.