Effect of Agronomic Practices on Green Fodder, Grain Quality, Grain Yield and Economics of Dual Purpose Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (Rabi) season at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana for two years to study the effect of time of cutting for forage on grain quality, grain yield, green fodder yield and economics of dual purpose barley varieties. The treatments, comprising the uncut, one green foliage cut (45 and 60 days after sowing), were evaluated against three varieties (PL 172, PL 426 and RD 2552). Barley variety PL 172 produced significantly higher green fodder yield (10.5 t ha-1) than the other two varieties i.e. PL 426 and RD 2552. The varieties RD 2552 (3.9 t ha-1) and PL 172 (4.2 t ha-1) were statistically at par but gave significantly higher grain yield than PL 426 (3.6 t ha-1). The variety RD 2552 gave higher net returns of Rs 41660 ha-1 than other two varieties i.e. PL 172 (Rs 27229 ha-1) and PL 426 (Rs 22194 ha-1). The forage cut at 60 days after sowing (DAS), produced significantly higher green fodder (13.4 t ha-1) than the forage cut at 45 DAS. The uncut crop and cut crop at 45 DAS produced significantly higher grain yield (4.6 and 4.5 t ha-1) yield than the cut crop at 60 DAS. The cutting of barley for fodder at 45 DAS gave higher net returns (Rs 24284 ha-1) than the forage cut at 60 DAS and uncut crop.