Nutritive Evaluation of a Newly Developed Variety of Hybrid Bajra Fodder in Buffalo

The nutritive value of new variety (PHBF-1) of hybrid bajra was compared with the standard variety (FBC-16) in adult male buffaloes. Fodder of both the varieties harvested at 50% flowering was offered to each group of three calves as a sole ration. The chemical composition of both varities has similar. The oxalate content in both the varieties was quite low (2.3%). The voluntary dry matter intake of variety PHBF-1 was higher (2.5 kg/100 kg BW) than the standard variety FBC-16 (2.21 kg/100 kg BW) though the difference was non significant. The nutritional quality in terms of DCP and TDN of PHBF-1 (7.40%±0.47 and 65.00%±1.55) was slightly higher as compared to standard variety (6.42%±0.16 and 63.4%±0.83). Average green fodder yield of PHBF-1 was 640 q/ha as against 560 q/ha of FBC-16 and thus surpassed FBC-16 by a margin of 14.3%. Dry matter yield of PHBF-1 was also 19.65% more than the standard variety.