Vol. 11, Issue 2 (2022)

Author(s):
Sundar Anchra, RC Bairwa, Abhishek, Mahendra Kumar Rojh and Ajit Kumar Meena

Abstract:
Animal nutrition including green fodder plays an important role in livestock productivity but the productivity of livestock is low under arid conditions due to green fodder deficiency. Therefore, an experiment was conducted on fodder pearl millet crop during kharif season of 2018 at College of Agriculture, Swami Keshwan and Rajasthan Agricultural University, Rajasthan, India. The treatments consisted of four fertility levels (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N/ha) and three varieties (Raj bajra -1, Raj- 171 and Local). The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with three replications. The productivity of crops was evaluated in terms of green and dry fodder yield and quality in the form of dry matter, ash, crude protein, ether extract, crude fibre, total digestible nutrients, dry matter intake and dry matter digestibility values. Results revealed that total green fodder and dry matter yield was higher in variety Raj bajra-1 as compared to Raj 171 and Local variety. Among nutrient management, treatment80 kg N + 40 kg P₂O₅/ha recorded higher fodder production as well as fodder quality as compared with control and 40 kg N + 20 kg P₂O₅/ha being statistically at par with 120 kg N + 60 kg P₂O₅/ha.