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

Introduction

Livestock production plays a vital role in agricultural economies by contributing substantially to food security and rural livelihoods. Availability of quality green fodder remains one of the major constraints affecting livestock productivity in many developing countries. Rapid urbanization, shrinking agricultural land, irregular rainfall patterns, and water scarcity have created significant challenges in sustaining conventional fodder production systems. Consequently, alternative technologies for year-round production of quality fodder have become increasingly important. Hydroponic fodder production is a modern technique involving the cultivation of plants without soil under controlled environmental conditions. Hydroponics enables rapid production of fresh green fodder within a short period, usually between 7 and 14 days, with considerably less water requirement compared to conventional cultivation systems. Studies have indicated that hydroponic systems require approximately 2-10% of the water needed for field cultivation while maintaining high biomass productivity and improved nutritional quality (Naik et al., 2015; Al-Karaki and Al-Hashimi, 2012) [9,1] . Maize is one of the most widely cultivated fodder crops because of its high biomass production potential, excellent palatability, digestibility, and nutritional composition. Hydroponically produced maize fodder has gained considerable attention because it can serve as a dependable feed resource throughout the year (Sneath and McIntosh, 2003) [11] .

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The nutritional quality of hydroponic fodder is strongly influenced by nutrient availability and varietal characteristics. Balanced nutrient management plays a critical role in regulating plant growth and development.

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are essential macronutrients involved in physiological processes such as photosynthesis, protein synthesis, root development, and carbohydrate metabolism (Peer and Baxter, 2013) [10] . Adequate nutrient supply through nutrient solutions can improve nutrient uptake efficiency and ultimately enhance the nutritional composition of hydroponic fodder (Naik et al., 2015; Dung et al., 2010) [9,3] . Different maize varieties may exhibit variation in nutrient uptake efficiency and response to nutrient application. Understanding the interaction between nutrient levels and varietal performance under hydroponic conditions is important for identifying suitable nutrient management strategies for maximizing fodder quality.

Considering the importance of nutrient management in hydroponic fodder systems, the present investigation was undertaken with the following objective:

To evaluate the effect of different nutrient solution levels on growth and nutritional quality of maize fodder varieties under hydroponic conditions.

Materials and Methods

The present experiment was conducted under hydroponic growing conditions at Krishna college of Agriculture and Technology, Usilampatti during the month of May 2026. Maize fodder varieties (V1 = Yayati Hybrid, V2 = CO 6, V3 = African Tall, V4 = CO H(M)4). Healthy and uniform seeds of different maize varieties were selected and cleaned prior to sowing. Seeds were soaked in water for an appropriate duration and subsequently incubated for germination. Germinated seeds were uniformly spread in hydroponic trays under controlled conditions. Nutrient solutions were prepared according to treatment concentrations using water-soluble fertilizer (19:19:19 NPK). The nutrient solution was applied according to treatment schedules. The following parameters were recorded: Dry matter content (%), Crude protein (%), Crude fibre (%), Total ash (%), Nitrogen-free extract (%).

Proximate composition was determined according to AOAC (2005) procedures.

Statistical Analysis

Experimental data were statistically analyzed according to the methods described by Gomez and Gomez (1984) [7] . Treatment means were compared using critical difference at the 5% level of significance.

Results and Discussion

Effect of nutrient solution levels and maize varieties on dry matter content Dry matter content varied significantly among nutrient levels and maize varieties during different growth periods (Table 1). At 0 DAS, no significant differences among nutrient treatments were observed, with a uniform value of 52.93%. At 7 DAS, nutrient treatments significantly influenced dry matter accumulation and the highest value was recorded under T4 (0.75% NPK) (17.86%), whereas the lowest value was observed in T1 (control) (17.46%). Similar trends were observed at 14 DAS where treatment differences remained significant. Among maize varieties, Yayati Hybrid (V1) recorded the highest dry matter content at 7 DAS (19.41%), whereas CO H(M)4 (V4) showed the highest value at 14 DAS (22.39%).

Increased dry matter accumulation under nutrient-treated plants may be due to enhanced photosynthetic activity and efficient nutrient utilization resulting from increased nutrient availability. Nitrogen is an important component of chlorophyll and proteins which directly contributes to biomass production and dry matter accumulation. Similar observations were reported by Fazaeli et al. (2012) [5] , Naik et al. (2015) [9] , and El-Morsy et al. (2013) [4] .

Effect of nutrient solution levels and maize varieties on crude protein content

Crude protein content increased significantly with increasing nutrient concentration during crop growth stages. At 14 DAS, T4 (0.75% NPK) recorded the highest crude protein content (20.66%), whereas the lowest value was observed under T1 (19.02%). The increase in crude protein content may be attributed to increased nitrogen availability from nutrient application, resulting in enhanced amino acid synthesis and protein accumulation. Among maize varieties, Yayati Hybrid (V1) recorded the highest crude protein content (20.15%), followed by CO 6 (19.92%). African Tall (V3) showed comparatively lower protein content (19.46%). Enhanced nitrogen uptake under nutrient-treated conditions likely improved protein synthesis and metabolic activities within the plant tissues. Similar findings were reported by Naik et al. (2015) [9] , Dung et al. (2010) [3] , and Gebremedhin (2015) [6] , who observed increased crude protein levels in hydroponically grown fodder crops following nutrient supplementation.

Effect of nutrient solution levels and maize varieties on crude fibre content

Crude fibre content increased progressively with increasing nutrient concentration. Among nutrient treatments, T4 recorded the highest crude fibre content (13.90%), whereas T1 recorded the lowest value (13.49%) at 14 DAS. Among the varieties, Yayati Hybrid (V1) exhibited maximum crude fibre content (13.96%) followed by CO 6 (13.71%), while African Tall (13.54%) and CO H(M)4 (13.53%) recorded relatively lower values. The increase in fibre content may be associated with the development of structural components such as cellulose and lignin during plant growth. Nutrient availability enhances physiological activities that contribute to cell wall formation and tissue development. Similar observations were reported by Morgan et al. (1992) [8] .

Effect of nutrient solution levels and maize varieties on total ash content

Total ash content represents mineral accumulation within plant tissues and differed significantly among nutrient treatments and varieties. Among nutrient treatments, T4 recorded the highest total ash content (4.18%), while T2 recorded the lowest value (3.90%) at 14 DAS. Among maize varieties, Yayati Hybrid recorded the highest total ash content (4.13%), whereas African Tall recorded the lowest value (3.92%). Increased mineral accumulation under nutrient treatments may be due to improved nutrient uptake efficiency and enhanced metabolic activity. These findings agree with reports of Fazaeli et al. (2012) [5] and Al-Karaki and Al-Hashimi (2012) [1] .

Effect of nutrient solution levels and maize varieties on nitrogen free extract

Nitrogen-free extract (NFE) showed a decreasing trend with increasing nutrient concentration. At 14 DAS, T1 recorded the highest value (54.19%) while T4 recorded the lowest value (51.86%). Among varieties, African Tall recorded the highest NFE value (53.96%), while Yayati Hybrid recorded the lowest value (52.39%). The reduction in NFE under higher nutrient treatments may indicate utilization of soluble carbohydrates for synthesis of proteins and structural compounds during plant growth. Similar observations were reported by Naik et al. (2015) [9] and Dung et al. (2010) [3] .

Conclusion

The present investigation demonstrated that nutrient solution levels significantly influenced the nutritional quality of hydroponically grown maize fodder. Increasing NPK concentration improved dry matter accumulation, crude protein, crude fibre, and mineral content. Among nutrient levels, T4 (0.75% NPK) showed superior performance in improving crude protein, crude fibre and total ash content. Varietal differences were also observed, indicating differential response among maize genotypes. Among the varieties tested, Yayati Hybrid performed better with respect to most nutritional parameters, indicating its suitability for hydroponic fodder production. The findings suggest that optimum nutrient management can improve the quality and efficiency of hydroponic fodder production systems.

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