1.
INTRODUCTION
The production of forages is the foundation of the livestock sector and is
the primary source of revenue for animals. India is the world's largest producer of cattle
(16%) and buffalo (5.5%), accounting for over 20% of all livestock. Over the last ten
years, the area in India dedicated to fodder crops has remained relatively stable
around 8.5–9.0 million hectares, making up a mere 4.6% of the country's total
cultivated land. According to Devi et al. (2014), one of the key elements in reaching the
targeted level of livestock output is a deficiency in feed and fodder. Approximately 491
million tons of green fodder were produced, compared to an estimated 648 million
tonnes that were needed. As of right now, the nation's deficit amounts to 44%
concentrate, 10.95% dry crop leftovers, and 35.6% green fodder (Anonymous, 2013).
However, in Manipur, the area used for permanent pasture, fodder crops, and other
grazing land only makes up 1% of the total area, providing just 549 and 903 t of fresh
and dry fodder, respectively (Anonymous, 2008). This is insufficient to meet the state's
requirement for fodder. The demand for primary grain and pulse crops, as well as
livestock products, is rising in tandem with the global population growth. Therefore, it
becomes crucial to cultivate green fodder in the cropping system (Aulakh et al., 2012).
In order to address the shortfall of green fodder required for India's livestock production
to continue, more fodder acreage must be planted.
When compared to industrialized nations, the production of animals in
India, particularly milch animals, is extremely poor. This is mainly because there is a
dearth of nutrient-rich feed and fodder for animals (Patel et al., 2011). The primary
obstacle to fully realizing the potential of the cattle industry has also been identified as
the supply of high-quality feed (Palsaniya et al., 2011). During winter months the
animals depend mainly on rice straw and semi dried standing grasses found in fallow
lands leading to the low production and productivity of livestock. In order to improve the
availability of green fodder in winter season, oats can be cultivated successfully in
fallow lands after cultivation of rice.
Oat (Avena sativa L.) is one of the most important cereal crops grown
for its seed, feed and fodder. Oat is generally known as nutritious grain because of the
multiple health benefits it possess and sometimes it is also called as ‘health food’. Oat
(Avena sativa L.) belong to the family poaceae. It is an important Rabi cereal crop. It is
an annual grass plant and is locally known as “Javi” or “Jayi”. Oats is believed to have
originated in Asia. It is an important cereal crop which is grown in winter in north
western, central India and now extending the eastern region.
Highly succulent, appetizing, and nutritious, oat (Avena sativa L.) green
fodder contains 10-11.5% crude protein, 55–64% neutral detergent fiber (NDF), 30-32
percent acid detergent fiber (ADF), 22-23% cellulose, 17–20% hemicelluloses, and 60–
65% digestibility at 50% flowering state when harvested. Oats are currently farmed on
9.97 million hectares worldwide, producing 25.48 million tons, primarily in temperate
regions of the United States, Canada, and Europe. Oats are produced on an average
of nearly 1.0 lakh hectares of land in Gujrat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra,
and hilly tracts of the southern plateau. Oats are also good for making silage and hay,
which are used during lean periods. In addition, the grains of oats are rich in
antioxidants, ß-glucone, minerals, vitamin E, and other phytochemicals that are
beneficial to human health. Among agronomic approaches, optimizing balanced plant
nutrition is a difficult issue for maximizing production with improved nutrient usage
efficiency and sustainability of the systems. The main source of plant nutrients is
chemical fertilization, which takes the form of urea, diammonium phosphate, muriate of
potash, and complex fertilizers. However, integrated nutrient management offers
increased productivity, profitability, and sustainability. Dairymen have a strong need for
organic fodder production as a result of growing knowledge of the negative effects of
chemical fertilization and a growth in the demand for organic products, especially dairy
products. Recently, commercial crop production has had access to nano fertilizers such
as nano urea, nano DAP, nano Zn, etc. Less is needed for the nano fertilizers to boost
seed germination, seedling growth, N metabolism, carbohydrate and protein synthesis,
and crop productivity with increased nutrient usage efficiency. They are also easy to
handle. Additionally, nanomaterials increase overall plant health and increase plant
tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress.
Even though fodder oats are becoming more and more popular, very
little research has been done on nano fertilizers and how they affect the production of
oat fodder. Optimizing the timing of nano fertilizers is crucial in order to maximize the
yield of oat fodder in India.
Keeping the above in view, the experiment “Response of nano fertilizers
on growth, yield, quality and economics of fodder oats (Avena sativa L.)” will be
conducted to study the growth, yield and quality fodder oats (Avena sativa L.) as
influenced by the integration of nano fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers with the
following objectives mentioned below:
1. To evaluate the different concentration of nano fertilizers on
growth, yield and quality of fodder oats (Avena sativa L.)
2. To study the economics of the treatments
