Effect of different nutrient solution levels on growth and nutritional quality of maize fodder varieties under hydroponic conditions

Abstract:

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different nutrient solution levels on the growth and nutritional quality of hydroponically grown maize fodder varieties under controlled conditions at Krishna College of Agriculture and Technology, Usilampatti during May 2026. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Completely Randomized Design (FCRD) with two factors comprising four nutrient levels and four maize fodder varieties. The nutrient treatments included T1 (control: water alone), T2 (0.25% NPK spray, 19:19:19), T3 (0.50% NPK spray, 19:19:19), and T4 (0.75% NPK spray, 19:19:19), while the maize varieties included Yayati Hybrid, CO 6, African Tall, and CO H(M)4. Nutritional quality parameters such as dry matter content, crude protein, crude fibre, total ash, and nitrogen-free extract were analyzed using standard AOAC procedures. Results revealed significant differences among nutrient levels and maize varieties for all measured parameters. The application of 0.75% NPK (T4) significantly enhanced dry matter accumulation, crude protein, crude fibre, and total ash content compared with the control treatment. Among the varieties, Yayati Hybrid exhibited superior performance for most nutritional parameters, indicating better nutrient utilization efficiency under hydroponic conditions. Nitrogen-free extract showed a decreasing trend with increasing nutrient concentration, suggesting utilization of soluble carbohydrates for structural and protein synthesis. The findings indicate that appropriate nutrient management through nutrient solution application can significantly improve the nutritional quality and production efficiency of hydroponic maize fodder systems. Therefore, application of 0.75% NPK along with suitable variety selection may be recommended for improving hydroponic fodder production.