Influence of water sources on the growth and nutrient composition of wheat fodder in a hydroponic condition

Fodder production technology is emerging as an alternative not only high-quality fodder but also part of increasing centralized livestock farms. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of different water sources on the production of wheat fodder hydroponically. The study was conducted at a small part of the underground basement of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Academic Building, Khulna University, Khulna. The experiment was conducted using CRD (Completely Randomized Design) with five treatments and three replications. The irrigation was applied with tap water, pond water, borehole water, river water and sewage water for BARI ghom-30 (Triticum aestivum) to measure yield, fodder quality, and water use efficiency under hydroponic conditions. The fodder was harvested on the 11th day. The sample was collected for analysis on different days (5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th). Using sewage water in irrigation has effectively increased the plant height and root and shoot length of hydroponic wheat fodder. The higher fodder yields obtained from tap water due to the higher root length than the other treatment. To produce one kg of fresh hydroponics wheat fodder (11-d), about 1.99-2.16 liters of water is required. Plant height was highly significant (p<0.001) at the 11th day of harvesting. Plant root and shoot length was highly significant (p<0.001) on the 9th day of harvesting. Total water use (liter kg-1 fresh matter) was highly significant (p<0.001) on the 11th day of harvesting. Yield parameters included fresh yield was highly significant (p<0.001) on the 11th day of harvesting. Proximate contents of dry fodder were significantly higher in plants irrigated with sewage water than the others. The results of this study revealed that hydroponic green wheat fodder could be irrigated safely with tap water, pond water, borehole water, river water and sewage water to produce high yields and less water use. Moreover, the use of sewage water in irrigation of green forages in hydroponic systems is considered a useful alternative disposal method of wastewater.

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