Study the effect of organic fertility methods on quality and quantity of fodder Amaranth (Amaranthus spp. L.)

In order to study the effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers on quality and quantity production of fodder Amaranth (Amaranthus spp. L.) a field experiment was conducted in agricultural faculty of Shahid Chamran University in 2015. The experimental design was split plot based on RCB with three replications. Main plots were including Organic 1, Organic 2, Chemical, Integrated and Control and subplot including 2 Amaranth cultivars (Plansman and Koniz). Our results showed that both organic methods and Koniz Cv. had the highest plant height, leaf and stem dry matter and total dry matter. The highest fodder yield (368 gr/m2) belonged to Koniz Cv. with organic 2 methods due to better stem and leaf dry matter. Total dry matter production had the highest significant correlation with stem dry matter. Both organic methods had the highest digestibility, metabolic energy, crude protein and water soluble carbohydrates. No significant differences observed between cultivar for quality characters. Application of integrated method in Koniz Cv. had highest digestibility (57 percent) but had no significant differences with organic 2 methods. The highest crude protein (17 percent) belonged to Cv. Plansman with Organic 1 treatment. Total dry matter had positive correlation with digestibility but negative correlation with crude protein. In conclusion, we found that appling organic fertilizer methods will have good effective on quality and quantity of fodder production from Amaranth in Khuzestan.