Influence of Copper Application on Forage Yield and Quality of Oats Fodder in Copper Deficient Soils

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of differential doses of Cu on yield, micronutrient content, uptake and quality traits of oats fodder. The soil of the area had pH-7.42, EC-0.25 dS/m, organic carbon 0.35%, available P 13.53 kg/ha, available K 225 kg/ha. The diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe levels were 0.16, 2.26, 4.23 and 5.60 μg/g soil, respectively. Copper was applied to the soil @ 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 kg Cu/ha in form of copper sulphate. The study was conducted using randomized block design with four replications. Application of Cu up to 6 kg/ha improved (P<0.05) fodder yield, Cu, CP and total ash content while there was decrease (P<0.05) in NDF, ADF and cellulose content of oats fodder indicating that Cu application up to this level improved the fodder quality of oats. There was no significant effect of Cu application on concentration of Zn, Fe and Mn in oats fodder. Hence, Cu may be applied @ 6 kg/ha for better yield and quality of oats fodder in Cu deficient sandy loam soils of Punjab.