FORAGE YIELD AND QUALITY PERFORMANCE OF RABI CEREALS SOWN ALONE AND IN BLENDED POPULATION AT VARIABLE SEED RATIOS
Muhammad Tahir* and Nawal Zafar*
ABSTRACT
Fodder crops are the main source of animal feed in Pakistan. However, the yield per acre is still far below than optimum production level of the livestock. From this perspective, a field trial was conducted using seeds of three cereal crops wheat, oat and barley sown alone and blended together at different seed proportions (100%: 0%, 75% + 25%, 50% + 50% and 25% + 75%) at the Agronomic Research Area, Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, during 2013-14. The results showed that the crop mixtures and their variable seed ratios showed significant effects on fodder yield and quality traits. -1 The maximum number of tillers, number of leaves plant , leaf area, crop growth -1 -1 rate, fresh weight plant , dry weight plant , green forage yield and dry matter yield were obtained in plots where barley was sown alone at 100% seed ratio. The highest crude fiber and total ash percentage was observed in plots where oat was sown alone at 100% seed ratio and crude protein percentage was highest when oat was blended together with barley at 75% + 25% seed ratios.
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