Author(s):
Greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the optimum macro and micronutrients combination rate for hydroponic fodder production at Haramaya university. The trial was laid out in completely randomized design comprised of five nutrient combination rates in four replications and four growing cycles using HB1307 barley variety. The seeds were cleaned, washed, disinfected with 1.5% NaOCl and soaked to sprout. The sprouts were spread on aluminum trays and allowed to grow for ten days through the application of nutrient solutions twice a day (early in the morning and late afternoon). Every tenth days the required agronomic data were collected for four growing cycles. Total fresh and dry biomasses, separate shoot and root fresh and dry biomass yields, shoot and root lengths showed highly significant (P<0.0001) difference in response to the treatments. The highest total fresh and dry biomasses of 7.26 and 0.67 kg kg-1 and fresh shoot and root biomasses of 2.36 and 4.90 kg kg-1 seed were obtained at the highest nutrient combination rate, respectively. Similarly, shoot and root dry biomass yields of (0.115 and 0.571 kg kg-1) were recorded at the same treatment. The same treatment also showed significant different (P<0.0001) on shoot and root lengths. Opposite to the shoot, the root lengths decreased as the nutrient concentration increased with the shortest length record at the highest rate applied. The laboratory analysis showed that the highest nutritional value of mineral contents of the fodder at the highest fertilizer rate applied. Thus, it could be concluded that the use of the highest nutrient combination rate used in this experiment is reasonable and substantial to get the highest biomass yield of better nutritional quality of hydroponic fodder.
