Determination of Comparative Biomass Yield, Nutritional Quality and Production Cost of Five Different Hydroponic Fodder Species

Abstract

Hydroponics technology is the practice where plants are cultivated without using the soil. It has emerged as a promising method for green fodder production. This technology can be utilized to avoid shortage of animal feed caused by limited arable land. The study aims to compare biomass production, analyze nutritional content, and assess the production costs of five hydroponically grown fodder species- maize (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum aestivum), oat (Avena sativa), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata). The experiment was conducted at Khulna University. The research was conducted using completely randomized design (CRD) and experimental setup involved collection of seed, preparation of seeds, preparation of growing area. Seeds were selected for quality, soaked, and sprouted before being distributed on trays. Cultivated hydroponic fodders were harvested on 11th day. Key parameters such as production of biomass, the height of the plant, the length of the primary roots, and chlorophyll content were recorded. A cost analysis for production of fodders using hydroponic technology was also performed. Nutritional composition of hydroponic fodders was also analyzed. On day 11, oat had the highest biomass yield (1254.22g ± 249.98), followed by cowpea (1045.22g ± 71.57) from 250 g seeds. In terms of plant height, oat (19.81 cm ± 1.34) and maize (19.04 cm ± 1.40) were highest. Maize showed the longest root length (28.59 cm ± 0.12), while cowpea had the highest chlorophyll index (39.17 ± 0.69). Cost analysis revealed sorghum (51.16 BDT/kg ± 3.90) and cowpea (50.52 BDT/kg ± 3.99) had the highest production costs, whereas wheat had the lowest (21.12 BDT/kg ± 1.17). Proximate analysis showed that wheat had the highest dry matter content (26.62% ± 2.91) and cowpea the highest crude protein content (25.80% ± 0.48). This study highlights the potential of hydroponic technology to address fodder shortages by providing a sustainable and efficient alternative to conventional cultivation. The findings suggest that adopting hydroponics for fodder production could significantly enhance livestock nutrition and productivity in regions with limited arable land. Future research is needed for better utilization of hydroponic technology to increase disease resistance during cultivation and to increase productivity. Scalability of this technology and its long-term economic impacts on the livestock industry is also need to be evaluated.