Department of Agronomy, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharvad-580 005, Karnataka, India
*Part of the M.Sc. (Agri.) thesis submitted by the senior author.
A field experiment was conducted during rabi 1999–2000 under irrigated condition to study the effects of seed rate and nitrogen levels on forage yield, chemical composition and nutrient yield of oat (var. Kent). The data indicated that a seed rate of 100 kg per ha produced higher total green forage (30.98 t/ha) followed by 125kg per ha (30.75 t/ha) from both harvests. There was linear response to nitrogen fertilization up to 150 kg per ha for total green forage and dry matter yields from both harvests (37.05 t/ha green forage and 7.01 t/ha dry matter at 150 kg nitrogen per ha). The CP, total ash and ether extract contents and their yields increased significantly while crude fibre, nitrogen free extract, organic matter and total carbohydrates contents decreased (P<0.05) with increase in nitrogen level up to 150 kg per ha but their yields increased with increase in nitrogen levels at both harvests. All the quality parameters were not much affected by seed rates except crude fibre content which decreased with increase in seed rates. It is concluded that a combination of 100 kg seeds with 150 kg nitrogen per ha produced significantly higher total green forage (38.13 t/ha) however crude protein, total ash and ether extract contents increased significantly with increase in nitrogen level upto 150 kg per ha.
Fodder oat, seed rate, nitrogen level, green forage, forage quality
