Effect of neem coated vs. ordinary urea on productivity, profitability and nitrogen use efficiency in fodder oats under semi arid conditions of Punjab, India

Neem-coated urea fertilizer is a boon for Indian agriculture, as it not only increases crop yields but also reduces nitrogen losses to the environment. The relative performance of neem-coated urea (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) compared to ordinary urea was studied in oats (Avena sativa L.), with three levels of nitrogen application (56.25, 75.00, and 93.75 kg N/ha). The field experiments were conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, during the rabi seasons of 2019-20 and 2020 21. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized block design with three replications. The results showed that neem-coated urea outperformed ordinary urea in terms of crop growth, fodder yield, and fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency at all three nitrogen doses. When averaged over the two seasons, green fodder yield increased with the nitrogen dose, and 75 kg N/ha applied through neemcoated urea was comparable to 93.75 kg N/ha applied through either fertilizer source. The highest green and dry fodder yields i.e. 721 and 126 q/ ha, respectively were recorded with 93.75 kg N/ha from neem-coated urea, and this was statistically similar to applying 75 kg N/ha from the same source. This yield increase was attributed to significantly greater plant height and tiller density with 75 and 93.75 kg N/ha applied via neem-coated urea. On average over the two years, the highest fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency was observed with 75 kg N/ha through neem-coated urea, with agronomic efficiency of 339.1 kg yield/kg N in 2019-20 and 355.6 kg yield/kg N in 2020-21, as well as nitrogen recovery efficiency of 91% (2019-20) and 93% (2020-21). The benefit: cost ratio of 3.16 for 75 kg N/ha from neem-coated urea was significantly higher than that of ordinary urea. Therefore, the application of 75 kg N/ha through neem-coated urea in fodder oats is recommended to maximize productivity, profitability, and fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency.