Silage production potential of winter cereals and spring corn in rice-based crop rotations

Rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori et Paol.) is the main crop rotation in subtropical conditions of northwestern Indo-Gangetic plains. To meet fodder demand, corn (Zea mays L.) is grown in spring (February–June) for silage making after short duration oilseed crop (Brassica rapa ssp. oleifera) in rice-based crop rotation. To fulfill the increasing silage demands, production potential of winter cereals for silage making under rice-based crop rotations was explored. Rice–wheat (for silage)–spring corn (for silage) (R-W-SpM) and rice–barley (for silage) (Hordeum vulgare L.)–spring corn (for silage) (R-B-SpM) crop rotations were evaluated for silage production in randomized complete block design with four replications during 2020–2021 and 2021–2022. Rice–wheat (for grains) (R-W) crop rotation was also evaluated for economic comparison of silage production in rice-based crop rotations. The silage yield of barley was 15.21% higher as compared with wheat, while silage yield of spring corn grown after barley and wheat was statistically similar. The quality of barley silage was better than wheat. The system silage yield (winter cereal + spring corn) was 9.61% higher in R-B-SpM than R-W-SpM crop rotation. Rice equivalent yield and gross margin of R-B-SpM crop rotation (based on silage yield) were 6.54% and 11.02%, respectively higher than R-W-SpM. Silage-based R-W-SpM and R-B-SpM crop rotations resulted in 79.19% and 98.93%, respectively higher gross margin than R-W crop rotation.