Yield, Nutrient Uptake and Post-harvest Soil Nutrient Status of Fodder Jowar (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) Varieties as Influenced by Nitrogen Levels in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

Fodder availability remains inadequate to meet the increasing demand for quality livestock feed in India. Fodder jowar (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an important forage crop because of its high biomass production, drought tolerance and adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions. Optimising varietal selection and nitrogen management is therefore essential for improving fodder productivity, nutrient uptake and post-harvest soil nutrient status under rainfed conditions. A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2025 at the Agricultural College, Naira, Andhra Pradesh, to evaluate the performance of fodder jowar [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] varieties under different nitrogen levels with respect to yield, nutrient uptake and post-harvest soil nutrient status. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications, comprising three fodder jowar varieties, viz., CSH-24 MF, CSH-43 MF and Pant Chari-6, as main-plot treatments and four nitrogen  levels (0, 60, 80 and 100 kg N ha⁻¹) as sub-plot treatments. Among the varieties, CSH-43 MF recorded significantly higher green fodder yield (48,490 kg ha⁻¹), dry fodder yield (12,695 kg ha⁻¹) and nitrogen uptake (138.8 kg ha⁻¹), whereas Pant Chari-6 recorded significantly higher post-harvest soil available nitrogen (182.7 kg ha⁻¹). Application of 100 kg N ha⁻¹ resulted in significantly higher green fodder yield (54,760 kg ha⁻¹), dry fodder yield (13,998 kg ha⁻¹), nitrogen uptake (157.3 kg ha⁻¹), phosphorus uptake (28.4 kg ha⁻¹), potassium uptake (170.1 kg ha⁻¹) and post-harvest soil available nitrogen (198.5 kg ha⁻¹). However, post-harvest soil available phosphorus (26.7 kg ha⁻¹) and potassium (222.5 kg ha⁻¹) were higher under the control treatment (0 kg N ha⁻¹). The interaction between varieties and nitrogen levels was significant for green fodder yield, dry fodder yield and nitrogen uptake, with CSH-43 MF supplied with 100 kg N ha⁻¹ producing the highest green fodder yield, dry fodder yield and nitrogen uptake under the rainfed conditions of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh.