Effect of various nitrogen levels and seed rate on forage yield and quality of makkhan grass (Lolium multiflorum L.) in Western Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2021-22 and 2022-23 at Crop Research Centre, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut (U.P.), India on effect of various nitrogen levels and seed rate on forage yield and quality of makkhan grass (Lolium multiflorum L.) in Western Utter Pradesh. The soil of experimental field was sandy loam texture, low in organic carbon and available nitrogen, medium in available phosphorus and available potassium with near to neutral in reaction. There were two factor i.e. first factor including three seed rate of makkhan grass viz., 10, 15 and 20 kg ha-1 and in second factor including five nitrogen levels viz., 0, 50, 75,100 and 125 kg ha-1, were tested in factorial randomized block design with the four replication. Experimental results revealed that sowing of makkhan grass with 20 kg ha-1 seed rate recorded significantly higher dry matter and green forage yield owing to significant increase of growth attributes over the 10 and 15 kg ha-1 seed rate during both years. The quality parameters viz., nitrogen and crude protein content significantly increased while ADF and NDF significantly decrease with decrease in levels of seed rate during both years of experiment. The higher gross return, net return and benefit cost ratio was observed when crop was sown with 20 kg seed rate ha-1 than lower doses of seed rate during both of the years. With increase in nitrogen levels from 0 to 125 kg ha-1 recorded significantly higher dry matter, green forage and crude protein yield. The growth parameters were also higher with the application of 125 kg nitrogen per hectare. As regarding the quality parameters viz., nitrogen content in plant, crude protein content, cell content and ash content increased while ADF and NDF content of makkhan grass decrease with increasing levels nitrogen at all cuttings during both the years of experiment. The higher gross return, net return and benefit cost ratio was recorded with the application of 125 kg nitrogen per hectare during both the years respectively as compared to rest of the levels of nitrogen. Thus it may be concluded that sowing of makkhan grass with 20 kg seed rate per hectare along with application of 125 kg N ha-1 is beneficial for achieving higher yield of makkhan grass under Western Uttar Pradesh condition.