Enhancing yield, mineral composition, and energy fractions through intercropping and nutrient management in oats and berseem

• Published in: Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 23; no. 7; pp. 508 - 520
• Main Authors: Kushwah, Manoj, Lal Meena, Babu, Choudhary, Mahendra, Karunakaran, V., Kanwat, Manish, Rajawat, Mahendra Vikram Singh, Deep Tuti, Mangal, Hashim, Mohammad, Chandrashekhar, Sunil, Meena, V.K., Kumar, Sanjeev
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.10.2024
• Subjects: Competition indices; Fodder yield; Nutrient composition; Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria; Root characteristics; Seaweed extract; Nutrient composition; Seaweed extract; Fodder yield; Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria; Competition indices; Root characteristics
• ISSN: 1658-077X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jssas.2024.06.001

•Intercropping with integrated nutrient management boosts oats and berseem yield and quality.•Intercropping enhances total green fodder yield (oats + berseem) comparable to sole cropping of oats.•Integration of inorganic fertilizers, PGPR, and foliar spray of seaweed extract improved the mineral composition and energy fractions of oats + berseem combination. Inadequate green fodder of subpar quality poses a significant risk to livestock productivity, underscoring the pivotal role of intercropping and integrated nutrient management to effectively address the dual challenge of meeting both quantity and quality requirements in fodder. In this study, employing factorial randomized block design the experiment incorporated intercropping treatments S1- sole oats, S2- sole berseem, S3- 2 rows of oats + 1 row of berseem, and S4 −1 row of oats + 2 rows of berseem) alongside four nutrient management treatments N1- Control (100 % Recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF)), N2 − 50 % RDF + Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) + 2 spray of seaweed extract, N3 − 75 % RDF + PGPR + 2 spray of seaweed extract, N4 − 100 % RDF + PGPR + 2 spray of seaweed extract with each treatment replicated thrice. Results revealed that the significantly highest green fodder yield of oats (24.73 and 12.81 t ha−1) and berseem (13.35 and 13.79 t ha−1) in S1 and S2 crops recorded at both the cuts, respectively followed by intercropping of oats: berseem in 2:1 (S3) and 1:2 (S4) row ratio. Application of 100 % RDF + PGPR + 2 spray of seaweed extract recorded the highest green fodder yield of oats (21.80 and 9.79 t ha−1) and berseem (8.09 and 11.46 t ha−1). Oats and berseem recorded varying trends in nutrient concentration (1.72–18.9 %), nutrient uptake (35.5 kg ha−1 to 251.4 kg ha−1), energy fractions (0.33 MJ kg−1 to 10.2 MJ kg−1) due to intercropping and nutrient management. Therefore, we recommend adopting a combination of oats: berseem intercropping in a 2:1 row ratio, coupled with the application of 100 % RDF + PGPR + 2 sprays of seaweed extract to optimize yield, improve nutritional quality, and increase energy content. This approach ensures efficient utilization of available resources and can be beneficial for the farming community.