Effect of nutrient sources on productivity of fodder cropping systems in Punjab

Abstract

A field study was conducted to investigate the effect of nutrient sources on green fodder productivity of differ- ent fodders in cropping system mode at Ludhiana on a sandy loam soil in split plot design. The main plots con- sisted of four fodder cropping systems i.e. sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]-berseem ( Trifolium alexandrinum L.), maize ( Zea mays L.)-berseem-pearlmillet [ Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. emend. Stuntz], maize-berseem-maize + cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] and sorghum + clusterbean [ Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub]-oat ( Avena sativa L.)-cowpea and three nutrient management systems viz. organic, chemical and integrated in sub-plots with three replications. The highest maize equivalent green fodder yield (83.3 t/ha) was obtained in maize-berseem-pearlmillet fodder cropping system, which was significantly higher than sorghum-berseem, but statistically at par with the sorghum + clusterbean-oat-cowpea and maize-berseem- maize + cowpea cropping systems. Pearlmillet (64.2 t/ha) in summer, sorghum (34.6 t/ha) in kharif and berseem (62.7 t/ha) in rabi season gave the highest green fodder yield. The organic nutrient management produced sig- nificantly higher total system green fodder productivity (125.8 t/ha) and maize equivalent green fodder yield (85.4 t/ha) than the integrated and chemical fertilizer system. The organic carbon status of the soil increased by 24 and 11% over its initial status with the adoption of organic and integrated nutrient management systems, re- spectively. The available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium status in soil were also higher in organic and inte- grated nutrient management as compared to chemical fertilizer application.