OPTIMIZING FORAGE OAT PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY THROUGH SEED INOCULATION AND NITROGEN MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Fodder shortages and poor forage quality continue to limit livestock production in Pakistan, a situation further exacerbated by the global increase in fertilizer costs. The application of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, in combination with optimized nitrogen fertilization, offers a promising strategy to enhance both the yield and nutritional quality of forage crops like oat. To investigate this, a field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of seed inoculation and nitrogen levels on oat yield and forage quality.

Oat seeds were inoculated with Azotobacter and Azospirillum, alongside a non-inoculated control. Nitrogen was applied at three rates: 50, 100, and 150 kg N ha⁻¹ (the recommended rate). The experiment followed a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, and treatment means were compared with the LSD test at a 5% significance level.

The results showed that inoculation with Azotobacter combined with 150 kg N ha⁻¹ produced the highest agronomic and quality outcomes, including number of tillers (8.00), plant height (118 cm), crude protein (9.95%), crude fiber (32.32%), and total ash (11.55%). These findings indicate that integrating seed inoculation with nitrogen fertilization can significantly improve both the yield and nutritive value of oat fodder. Adoption of this approach by farmers could support sustainable and profitable livestock feed production, while further studies are recommended to explore additional bacterial strains and nitrogen sources for wider optimization.