Assessment of Organic, Inorganic, Integrated Nutrient Management and Subhash Palekar’s Natural Farming Practices in Fodder Oat and Sarson Mixture

India has a livestock population of 536.76 million (Anonymous, 2023). However, the available forage resources are in sufficient to meet the fodder requirements, resulting in a net deficit of 23.40% in dry fodder and 11.24% in green fodder (Roy et al., 2019). Due to economic constraints, feeding livestock with concentrates is not always feasible for farmers. Green forage, which can replace concentrates, is limited during summer and winter seasons, highlighting the need to increase green and dry fodder production. With a production of 30-45 t/ha, oats (Avena sativa L.) are a valuable fodder crop for the Rabi season in India, covering over one million ha. Oats are renowned for having a high nutritional content and for giving cattle vital elements like energy, fiber and protein. Because of its capacity to flourish in colder regions, farmers in India frequently choose it during the Rabi season. 
       
A mixed cropping of oat and fodder sarson (Brassica rapa L.) can improve land usage efficiency and overall herbage output in order to meet the need for green feed. The tall, dense canopy of oats creates a complementary relationship between the two crops, which can sustain the growth of the shorter fodder sarson plants. By increasing the amount of organic matter added to the soil, this mixed cropping strategy also aids in lowering weed competition and enhancing soil health. Fodder crops like oat and sarson require significant nutrients, especially nitrogen (N), to produce high-quality herbage. While chemical fertilizers are effective in providing nutrients, their cost limits their use among small and marginal farmers. Organic manures offer a promising solution by improving soil health and correcting nutrient deficiencies. Integrating organic manures with chemical fertilizers through an integrated nutrient management system can optimize productivity while reducing chemical inputs. Subhash Palekar’s Natural Farming (SPNF) promotes sustainable production and ecological balance by emphasizing the use of indigenous cattle for preparing natural fertilizers like Beejamrit, Jeevamrit and Ghanjeevamrit. This study compares different nutrient management practices in a mixture of fodder oat and sarson in terms of growth characteristics, green and dry fodder yields, profitability, nutrient content and uptake (N, phosphorus ‘P’ and potassium ‘K’), crude protein content and yield.

A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2018-19 and 2019-20 at research farm of fodder section, CSK HPKV, Palampur. The soil of the experimental field was acidic in reaction (pH 5.47), medium in organic carbon (0.70%), low in available N (230 kg/ha), medium in available P (17.64 kg/ha) and available K (168 kg/ha). The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications, consisting of ten nutrient management treatments, i.e., absolute control (T₁), 5% Jeevamrit (T₂), 10% Jeevamrit (T₃), Beejamrit + 5% Jeevamrit (T₄), Beejamrit + 10% Jeevamrit (T₅), 10 t/ha FYM + 5% Jeevamrit (T₆), 10 t/ha FYM + 10% Jeevamrit (T₇), 50% recommended N+10 t/ha FYM+5% Jeevamrit (T₈), 50% recommended N+10 t/ha FYM +10% Jeevamrit (T₉) and recommended dose of NPK through inorganic sources (T₁₀).
       
‘PLP-1’ of oat and ‘FOS-902’ of sarson varieties were grown. Oat seeds were sown in lines 20 cm apart using seed rate of 100 kg/ha. In oat crop; sarson was oversown by broadcast using seed rate of 3 kg/ha. Prior to sowing, full dose of FYM on a dry weight basis was incorporated in the soil in all the treatments comprised of FYM application. The crop was fertilized with recommended dose of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium i.e. 120, 40 and 30 kg/ha as per treatments. Beejamrit was prepared on farm using local cow dung (5 kg), local cow urine (5 litres), lime (50 g), soil (0.1 g) and water (20 litres) for treating seeds (100 kg) as per treatments. Jeevamrit (2 litres) was also prepared on the farm itself using local cow dung (100 g), local cow urine (100 ml), jaggery (20 g), pulse flour (20 g), soil (0.1 g) and water (2 litres). Two dilutions of 5 and 10 per cent were prepared from the concentrated Jeevamrit and used @500 l/ha as basal and at 4 weeks interval after sowing of crop in the respective treatments. 
       
Using established techniques, the observations on crop production and growth parameters were documented. Following conventional procedures of modified Kjeldahl’s method (A.O.A.C., 1970), vanado-molybdate phosphoric method (Jackson, 1967) and flame photometer technique (Jackson, 1967), plant samples were collected at the harvest of each crop for chemical analysis, i.e., N, P and K content (%). The per cent crude protein content was assessed by multiplying per cent N with a constant factor of 6.25. For economic analysis, net returns (₹/ha) and net returns per rupee invested was calculated on the basis of prevailing market prices. The data pertaining to various parameters were analyzed by the method of analysis of variance as described by Gomez and Gomez (1984).

Growth attributes
 
Plant height and shoot/plant number of oat and sarson at both the cuts was significantly influenced by different nutrient management treatments (Table 1).
 

       
In oat, at both the cuts, application of recommended NPK through inorganic sources resulted in significantly taller plants and higher number of shoots, which remained statistically at par with the application of 50 per cent recommended N + 10 t/ha FYM + 10 per cent Jeevamrit and 50 per cent recommended N + 10 t/ha FYM + 5 per cent Jeevamrit. In sarson, integrated nutrient management treatments comprised of 50 per cent recommended N + 10 t/ha FYM+Jeevamrit at first cut and recommended NPK at second cut resulted in significantly more height and shoot number of plants, however the treatments remained statistically at par with each other at both the cuts. The beneficial effects of N on photosynthetic activity, protein synthesis, cell division, cell elongation and better vegetative growth can be ascribed as the possible reasons for better plant height and more number of shoots of crops with the application of N through inorganic and integrated nutrient management practices (Singh et al., 2002; Kharlukhi et al., 2023). Organic nutrient management treatments i.e. 10 t/ha FYM+10 per cent Jeevamrit and 10 t/ha FYM + 5 per cent Jeevamrit were next in place in recording taller plants and more number of shoots/plant of oat and sarson at both the cuts. Significantly minimum plant height and lower number of shoots/plant of oat and sarson was recorded under absolute control which was statistically at par with Jeevamrit (5 or 10%) treatments at both the cuts.
 
Yield
 
Total green and dry fodder yields of oat+sarson was significantly influenced by different treatments at first cut, second cut and total of two cuts (Table 2). Integrated nutrient management treatments i.e. 50 per cent recommended N + 10 t/ha FYM+5 per cent Jeevamrit and 50 per cent recommended N + 10 t/ha FYM + 10 per cent Jeevamrit at first cut and recommended NPK through inorganic sources at second cut and total of two cuts resulted in significantly highest total green and dry fodder yields. All inorganic and integrated nutrient management treatments remained at par with each other at the first cut. Organic nutrient management treatments comprised of 10 t/ha FYM + Jeevamrit were next in place followed by natural farming nutrient management (Beejamrit + Jeevamrit) and Jeevamrit (5 or 10 per cent) treatments which remained at par with each other at both the cuts and total of two cuts. Recommended NPK through inorganic sources at total of two cuts resulted in 69.63, 65.37, 62.44, 48.21 and 5.62 per cent more total green fodder yield and 66.46, 62.95, 61.08, 45.37 and 5.76 per cent more total dry fodder yield over absolute control, Jeevamrit, natural farming, organic and integrated nutrient management, respectively.
 

       
Pandey (2018) in oat crop and Meitei and Bajpay (2019) in sarson crop also observed significant improvement in green fodder yield with the application of chemical fertilizers alone and in integration with FYM. Improvement in fodder yield with the application of recommended NPK through inorganic sources might be ascribed to adequate availability of N to the crop which is the constituent of amino acid and chlorophyll thus enhanced the photosynthetic activity and growth attributes (Table 1) and ultimately the yield of the crop (Sharma, 2009). Use of FYM with inorganic fertilizers might have attributed to increased supply of major and micro nutrients and increase in the activities of heterotrophic bacteria and fungi in soil, which in turn increased the activity of enzymes responsible for conversion of unavailable form of nutrients to available form leading to higher nutrient uptake and improvement in crop yield (Devi et al., 2014; Monicaa et al., 2023).
 
Economics
           
Significantly higher net returns of ₹ 1,13,347 per ha and net returns per rupee invested (2.95) were obtained with the application of recommended NPK through inorganic sources which was followed by integrated nutrient management (50 per cent recommended N + 10 t/ha FYM + Jeevamrit) practices (Table 2). Lowest net returns and net returns per rupee invested were obtained from absolute control and organic nutrient management (10 t/ha FYM + 5 or 10% Jeevamrit), respectively which did not differ significantly from each other.
       
The enhanced yield under recommended NPK resulted in higher net returns and net returns per rupee invested. Higher cost of FYM application made integrated nutrient management less profitable. In natural farming nutrient management treatments, on farm preparation of Beejamrit and Jeevamrit reduced the cost of cultivation and made these treatments comparable with organic nutrient management treatments in terms of net returns and net returns per rupee invested. Significantly higher net returns per rupee invested with the Jeevamrit alone application as compared to 7.5 t/ha FYM + Jeevamrit was also reported by Manjunatha et al., (2009).
 
NPK content and uptake
 
Integrated nutrient management treatments i.e. 50 per cent recommended N + 10 t/ha FYM + 5 per cent Jeevamrit and 50 per cent recommended N + 10 t/ha FYM + 10 per cent Jeevamrit resulted in highest N, P and K content in herbage which remained statistically at par with the application of recommended NPK through inorganic sources (Table 3). Whereas, the application of recommended NPK through inorganic sources resulted in significantly highest uptake of N, P and K and remained statistically at par with the integrated nutrient management treatments comprised of 50 per cent recommended N+10 t/ha FYM+Jeevamrit. Lowest NPK content and its uptake was observed under absolute control, which was statistically at par with Jeevamrit (5 or 10%) and natural farming nutrient management (Beejamrit + 5% Jeevamrit and Beejamrit + 10% Jeevamrit) treatments.
 

       
The N sufficiency in the soil solution and higher dry matter yield (Table 2) might be responsible for higher nutrient uptake in treatment fertilized with recommended NPK through inorganic sources. Kumar and Dhar (2006) also observed highest uptake of nutrients with integrated nutrient management which was statistically at par with 100 per cent recommended NPK through inorganic sources.
 
Crude protein content and yield
 
At both the cuts, integrated nutrient management practices and recommended NPK remaining at par with each other resulted in higher crude protein content in the herbage compared to all other treatments having 10 t/ha FYM+ Jeevamrit, Beejamrit+Jeevamrit, Jeevamrit and no fertilizers or manure application (Table 3). Increased shoot dry weights and shoot N concentrations as a result of fertilizer-N applications might have helped to increase the crude protein content with integrated and inorganic nutrient management (Jarrell and Beverly, 1981; Naveen and Senthikumar, 2021).
       
A perusal of data in Table 3 further indicated that integrated nutrient management practices comprised of 50 per cent recommended N+10 t/ha FYM + Jeevamrit at first cut and recommended NPK through inorganic sources at second cut remaining at par with each other resulted in significantly higher crude protein yield as compared to rest of the treatments. Lowest crude protein yield was obtained under absolute control which remained statistically at par with Jeevamrit (5 or 10%) and natural farming nutrient management (Beejamrit + Jeevamrit) treatments at both the cuts. Total crude protein yield of both the cuts was significantly highest with the application of recommended NPK through inorganic sources, which was 74.74, 70.93, 69.03, 50.69 and 1.38 per cent higher over absolute control, Jeevamrit, natural farming, organic and integrated nutrient management, respectively.
       
The variation in crude protein yield in all the treatments is mainly because of the crude protein content (Table 3) and dry matter yield (Table 2) of oat and sarson crops obtained under respective treatments.

In fodder oat+sarson mixture, inorganic nutrient management (recommended NPK) and integrated nutrient management (50 per cent recommended N +10 t/ha FYM+ Jeevamrit) proved better than organic (10 t/ha FYM+ Jeevamri) and natural farming (Beejamrit+Jeevamrit) nutrient management practices in terms of growth characteristics, green and dry fodder yields, crude protein yield, nutrient uptake and monetary returns.

There is no conflict of interest.