Enhancing yield, mineral composition, and energy fractions through intercropping and nutrient management in oats and berseem

Inadequate green fodder of subpar quality poses a significant risk to livestock productivity, underscoring the pivotal role of intercropping and integrated nutrient management to effectively address the dual challenge of meeting both quantity and quality requirements in fodder. In this study, employing factorial randomized block design the experiment incorporated intercropping treatments S₁- sole oats, S₂- sole berseem, S₃- 2 rows of oats + 1 row of berseem, and S₄ −1 row of oats + 2 rows of berseem) alongside four nutrient management treatments N₁- Control (100 % Recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF)), N₂ − 50 % RDF + Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) + 2 spray of seaweed extract, N₃ − 75 % RDF + PGPR + 2 spray of seaweed extract, N₄ − 100 % RDF + PGPR + 2 spray of seaweed extract with each treatment replicated thrice. Results revealed that the significantly highest green fodder yield of oats (24.73 and 12.81 t ha⁻¹) and berseem (13.35 and 13.79 t ha⁻¹) in S₁ and S₂ crops recorded at both the cuts, respectively followed by intercropping of oats: berseem in 2:1 (S₃) and 1:2 (S₄) row ratio. Application of 100 % RDF + PGPR + 2 spray of seaweed extract recorded the highest green fodder yield of oats (21.80 and 9.79 t ha⁻¹) and berseem (8.09 and 11.46 t ha⁻¹). Oats and berseem recorded varying trends in nutrient concentration (1.72–18.9 %), nutrient uptake (35.5 kg ha⁻¹ to 251.4 kg ha⁻¹), energy fractions (0.33 MJ kg⁻¹ to 10.2 MJ kg⁻¹) due to intercropping and nutrient management. Therefore, we recommend adopting a combination of oats: berseem intercropping in a 2:1 row ratio, coupled with the application of 100 % RDF + PGPR + 2 sprays of seaweed extract to optimize yield, improve nutritional quality, and increase energy content. This approach ensures efficient utilization of available resources and can be beneficial for the farming community.