Effect of nitrogen fertilization integrated with bio-product on productivity, profitability, and resource use efficiency of dual-purpose oats-residual green gram system.

AbstractThe food-forage production system is crucial for the sustainability and livelihood of resource-poor farming communities. This study evaluates the impact of various nutrient sources on the sustainable production of oats as a fodder crop and green gram as a sequence crop. Application of nitrogen and phosphorus are key factor that affects the quality and yield of fodder. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of various combinations of organic and inorganic nutrient sources on the sustainable production of green gram as a sequence crop and oats as a fodder crop. The highest grain yield, overall system productivity, and oats equivalent yield of green forage and green gram were obtained from the treatment (T6) with combination of 75% of the recommended nitrogen dose + vermicompost @ 2 t/ha + phosphate-solubilizing bacteria @ 15 kg/ha + Azotobactor @ 10 g/kg seed + zinc sulfate (ZnSO4, 7H2O) @ 20 kg/ha. Additionally, T6 markedly increased the amount of crude protein content, dry matter yield, nutrient uptake, and forage quality in both green gram and oats. According to the energy balance analysis, T6 had the highest levels of energy use efficiency and energy profitability. Results also showed that T6 had superior irrigation and total water productivity, as well as enhanced soil microbial populations. The treatment (T6) produced the highest gross and net returns despite having the highest cultivation costs, indicating that combining organic and inorganic fertilizer sources can increase agricultural profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]