Track 2-3-2: Impact of Grass and Legumes on Livestock Production, Soil Conservation and the Nitrogen Cycle in Grassland and Forage Ecosystems
Description
Importance of fodder crops in agriculture needs no emphasis because of the fact that regular fodder availability is basic requirement for livestock production. The area under fodder in Punjab is 2.03 million hectares with total production of 45 million tons, which is not sufficient to meet the maintenance requirements of livestock. To improve the quality of milk production it is important that animals are fed with good quality of fodder. Nitrogen is an essential primary nutrient for plant growth and plays an important role in productivity of forage crops. The application of N at various growth stages is one of the ways to increase forage productivity of crops. The excessive use of nitrogen can lead to deteriorate soil health and accumulation of nitrate-N in fodders above the permissible limit (> 5000 ppm) which is toxic to animals. Some of the crops such as Sudan grass, pearl millet and oats are potent accumulators of nitrate.
Oats is the most important winter cereal crop grown in northern, western and central India. Oats is gaining importance throughout the world due to its uses as human food, animal feed and fodder crop. One of reasons of nitrate toxicity in oats is high input of fertilizer. When growing conditions are favorable, plants take up nitrogen in form of nitrate. The nitrate is rapidly converted into ammonia which is incorporated into the plant protein. Unfavorable growing conditions can interfere with nitrate use and cause it to accumulate in the plant. Nitrate toxicity arises when nitrate conversion into nitrite is faster than its utilization into ammonia
Nitrate reductase (NR) is considered a key enzyme in nitrogen metabolism. It is not only rate limiting enzyme in inorganic nitrogen assimilation but also the major regulatory step in N metabolism (Young et al., 2009). NR is considered to catalyze the NO3 - assimilation because it initiates the reaction when NO3 - is available. NR activity is modified rapidly in response to level of nitrate, CO2, light, carbon skeletons and nitrogen metabolites.
In the present study inter relationship between crude protein level, nitrate-N value and NR activity in relation to N inputs has been worked out.
Included in
Nitrate Accumulation and Utilization in Fodder Oats Varieties as Affected by Different Nitrogen Levels
Importance of fodder crops in agriculture needs no emphasis because of the fact that regular fodder availability is basic requirement for livestock production. The area under fodder in Punjab is 2.03 million hectares with total production of 45 million tons, which is not sufficient to meet the maintenance requirements of livestock. To improve the quality of milk production it is important that animals are fed with good quality of fodder. Nitrogen is an essential primary nutrient for plant growth and plays an important role in productivity of forage crops. The application of N at various growth stages is one of the ways to increase forage productivity of crops. The excessive use of nitrogen can lead to deteriorate soil health and accumulation of nitrate-N in fodders above the permissible limit (> 5000 ppm) which is toxic to animals. Some of the crops such as Sudan grass, pearl millet and oats are potent accumulators of nitrate.
Oats is the most important winter cereal crop grown in northern, western and central India. Oats is gaining importance throughout the world due to its uses as human food, animal feed and fodder crop. One of reasons of nitrate toxicity in oats is high input of fertilizer. When growing conditions are favorable, plants take up nitrogen in form of nitrate. The nitrate is rapidly converted into ammonia which is incorporated into the plant protein. Unfavorable growing conditions can interfere with nitrate use and cause it to accumulate in the plant. Nitrate toxicity arises when nitrate conversion into nitrite is faster than its utilization into ammonia
Nitrate reductase (NR) is considered a key enzyme in nitrogen metabolism. It is not only rate limiting enzyme in inorganic nitrogen assimilation but also the major regulatory step in N metabolism (Young et al., 2009). NR is considered to catalyze the NO3 - assimilation because it initiates the reaction when NO3 - is available. NR activity is modified rapidly in response to level of nitrate, CO2, light, carbon skeletons and nitrogen metabolites.
In the present study inter relationship between crude protein level, nitrate-N value and NR activity in relation to N inputs has been worked out.
