Effects of integrated farmyard manure, plant biostimulants, and bioinoculants on growth, yield, and energy fractions in a maize–berseem fodder cropping system

Abstract

The increasing demand for livestock-derived products and the growing emphasis on sustainable agricultural production necessitate the development of efficient organic nutrient management strategies for fodder-based cropping systems. A two-year field experiment was conducted at the ICAR–National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, located in the Trans-Gangetic Plains of India, to evaluate the integrated effects of farmyard manure (FYM), plant biostimulants ( Panchagavya and seaweed extract), and bioinoculants on the growth, yield, chlorophyll content, and energy fractions of fodder maize ( Zea mays L.) and berseem ( Trifolium alexandrinum L.). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with six treatments and six replications. Among the treatments, T 3 (PGPR + 75% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through FYM + three foliar sprays of Panchagavya ) consistently produced the highest growth, fodder yield, chlorophyll concentration, and energy fractions in both crops during the two experimental years. In fodder maize, T 3 recorded the maximum green fodder yield (32.4–34.7 t ha - ¹) and dry fodder yield (7.4–8.1 t ha - ¹). Similarly, in berseem, T 3 produced the highest total green fodder yield (57.0–58.5 t ha - ¹) and dry fodder yield (7.6–8.1 t ha - ¹), over the absolute control. Total chlorophyll content reached 2.39–2.43 mg g - ¹ in maize and 2.29–2.32 mg g - ¹ in berseem under T 3 , accompanied by significant improvements in digestible energy, metabolizable energy, digestible feed energy, and net energy. The PGPR + 75% RDN through FYM + seaweed extract treatment (T 4 ) also produced significant improvements over the absolute control and ranked among the best-performing treatments across most measured parameters, demonstrating the potential of seaweed extract as an effective biostimulant in integrated nutrient management. Overall, the findings demonstrate that integrating PGPR with 75% RDN through FYM and Panchagavya was the most effective strategy for enhancing fodder productivity, nutritive quality, and energy value, while the PGPR + 75% RDN through FYM + seaweed extract treatment also provided substantial benefits and represents a promising alternative biostimulant-based approach for sustainable maize–berseem fodder production systems.