Effect of nitrogen and phosphorus rates and time of application on growth, fodder yield and quality of hedge lucerne

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the MARS, Dharwad, Karnataka, during the kharif season of 2024-25 to study the effect of nitrogen and phosphorus rates and time of application on growth, yield and quality of hedge lucerne.Thetreatments comprised six nitrogen and phosphorus rates and three time of application. Application of 50 kg N and 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 significantly enhanced growth parameters like plant height and leaf to stem ratio,total green fodder (26.37 t ha-1), dryfodder yield (5.52 t ha-1), mean crude protein (21.36%) and total ash content (8.13%), total crude protein (1211.41 kg ha-1) andtotal ash yield (471.0 kg ha-1) as superior to lower levels of nutrient application. Application of nutrients in four splits (25%basal + 25% after 1st cut + 25% after 2nd cut + 25% after 3rd cut) significantly recorded higher growth parameters, total greenfodder (23.25 t ha-1), dry fodder yield (4.84 t ha-1), mean crude protein (20.08%) and total ash content (7.76%), total crudeprotein (1003.5 kg ha-1) and total ash yield (390.4 kg ha-1) as compared three and two splits. Higher green fodder yield andquality of hedge lucerne can be obtained with application of 50 kg N and 60 kg P2O5 ha-1in four splits was found optimum.