Optimizing Fodder Sorghum Quality: Unveiling the Impact of Varied Nitrogen Levels in Multicut Genotypes

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of varied levels of nitrogen on the quality of multicut fodder sorghum genotypes at the ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Vijayapur, during the Kharif 2019–20 under irrigated conditions. The soil, characterized by a clay texture, exhibited a medium level of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium availability. The experiment involved two fodder sorghum genotypes (CoFS-29 & CoFS-31) and five nitrogen levels (100, 125, 150, 175 and 200 kg N ha-1), arranged in a split-plot design with three replications. The genotype CoFS-29 and CoFS-31 are multicut fodder sorghum varieties, one can harvest 5-6 cuts in one year at 60 days interval. The crop has highly succulent leaves and stem, the green fodder is highly relished by cattle. It contains high protein and less crude fibre and hence higher digestibility. The study aimed to assess the nutritional quality and yield of multicut fodder sorghum comprising genotypes and nitrogen levels. Results indicated that the CoFS-31 genotype outperformed CoFS-29, demonstrating higher yields in terms of crude protein (438 kg ha-1), crude fiber (1237 kg ha-1), green fodder (130.49 t ha-1), and dry matter (29.67 t ha-1). Furthermore, in comparison to lower nitrogen levels across all cuttings, the application of 200 kg N ha-1 significantly increased yields in crude protein (554 kg ha-1), crude fiber (1495 kg ha-1), green fodder (154.32 t ha-1), and dry matter (34.97 t ha-1). The study concludes that the application of 200 kg N ha-1 enhances the yield of green forage and improves the quality of fodder produced by multicut fodder sorghum genotypes.