EFFECT OF CUTTING MANAGEMENT, ROW SPACING AND LEVELS OF NITROGEN ON FODDER YIELD AND QUALITY OF OAT (AVENA-SATIVA)

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) seasons of 1987-88 and 1988-89 to study the effect of cutting management, row spacing and levels of nitrogen on fodder yield and quality of oat (Avena saliva L.). The green-fodder, dry-matter and crude-protein yields were significantly highest in 1 cut system at 50% flowering stage. Closer sowing of fodder oat at 15 cm-row spacing gave significantly highest green-fodder, dry-matter and crude-protein yields, followed by 20 and 25 cm-row spacings in both the years. Application of N increased the characters significantly and a dose of 120 kg N/ha was found optimum.