Productivity and Quality of Fodder Oats (Avena sativa L.) as influenced by Sowing Time, Cutting Schedules and Nitrogen Levels

A field experiment was conducted at Agronomy Farm, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur, (Rajasthan) during rabi seasons of 2016–17 and 2017–18 to study the effect of sowing time (25^th October and 25^th November), cutting schedules (cut at 50 DAS, cut at 60 DAS and cut at 70 DAS) and nitrogen levels (80, 100 and 120 kg ha⁻¹) on productivity and quality of fodder oats. It was revealed that early sown crop on 25^th October recorded significantly higher green (36.4 t ha⁻¹) and dry (8.0 t ha⁻¹) fodder yield as well as green (611 kg ha⁻¹ day⁻¹) and dry (134 kg ha⁻¹ day⁻¹) fodder production efficiency and quality parameters viz. ether extract (2.52%). Among different cutting schedules, cutting at 70 DAS recorded significantly higher green (37.8 t ha⁻¹) and dry (8.3 t ha⁻¹) fodder yield. However, cut at 50 DAS proved significantly better in terms of green (628.7kg ha⁻¹ day¹) and dry (137.0 kg ha⁻¹ day⁻¹) fodder production efficiency as well as quality parameters viz. crude protein (12.3%) and ether extract (2.56%). Application of 120kg N ha⁻¹ gave significantly higher green (36.5 t ha⁻¹), dry (8.0 t ha⁻¹) fodderyield and green (613.5 t ha⁻¹), dry (34.4 t ha⁻¹) fodder production efficiency and quality parameters viz. crude protein (12.1%) and ether extract (2.53%). It is concluded that among sowing times 25^th October, among cutting schedule 50 DAS and among nitrogen levels 120 kg N ha⁻¹ is the best treatment for recoding maximum value of green and dry fodder production efficiency and ether extract.