Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences, 30, 2021, 149–158 https://doi.org/10.22358/jafs/135932/2021 The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jabłonna Biofortifcation of maize fodder with zinc improves forage productivity and nutritive value for livestock B. Kumar 1,3 and H. Ram 2 1 Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India 2 Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India KEY WORDS: biofortifcation, digestibility parameters, forage quality, forage yield, maize fodder, zinc Introduction Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important cereal crop worldwide, used as food for human beings, feed for livestock, and a raw material for industry (Anees et al., 2016). It is more commonly used in lifestock feeding than other cereal fodder crops due to its higher digestibility and palatability (Wadhwa et al., 2010). Farmers also prefer maize for making high-quality maize-cob silage for feeding the live- stock during lean fodder production periods (Kumar et al., 2019). Zinc (Zn) defciency in the soil is one of the major micronutrient constraints to crop and pasture production throughout the world in all regions with arid to tropical climate (Alloway, 2008; Cakmak and Kutman, 2018). The major reason for the def- ciency of micronutrients, such as Zn, is chiefy as- cribed to the introduction of high yielding crop vari- eties in the past, imbalanced fertilizer application to the soil and low soil organic matter content (Gupta et al., 2016; Kumar et al., 2016; Pal et al., 2020). More than 50% of the Indian soils are now defcient in Zn, particularly in highly intensive cultivated ABSTRACT. Zinc (Zn) defciency in the soil negatively affects production of maize forage, and consequently dietary Zn intake by the livestock. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of rate and method of ZnSO 4 •H 2 O application on forage yield, quality and digestibility of maize fodder grown on a low DTPA-extractable Zn soil. The treatments were: T 1 = control; T 2 = foliar application of 0.3% ZnSO 4 •H 2 O 30 days after sowing (DAS); T 3 = foliar application of 0.3% ZnSO 4 •H 2 O 30 and 40 DAS; T 4 = soil application of 16 kg/ha ZnSO 4 •H 2 O; T 5 = soil application of 16 kg/ha ZnSO 4 •H 2 O + T 2 ; and T 6 = soil application of 16 kg/ha ZnSO 4 •H 2 O + T 3 . The experiment was performed in a randomized complete block design. The optimal rate and method of ZnSO 4 •H 2 O application resulting in improved fodder yield and quality of maize was obtained by T 6 treatment. An increase in the fresh fodder yield, dry matter (DM) yield and Zn uptake by 25, 46.9 and 160.7%, respectively were recorded under T 6 treatment. Digestibility parameters as digestible crude protein, total digestible nutrients, digestible DM, DM intake, net energy for lactation, digestible feed energy, relative feed value and relative forage quality of fodder were signifcantly (P ≤ 0.05) improved by soil plus double foliar ZnSO 4 •H 2 O fertilization (T 6 ); however, a signifcant reduction in fbres content in fodder was noted. So, the Zn enrichment method combining soil addition and foliar spraying is the best one to improve the quality of maize fodder, and thus can be a good way to introduce Zn into animal nutrition. Received: 28 December 2020 Revised: 3 March 2021 Accepted: 20 April 2021 3 Corresponding author: e-mail: dr.balwinderkumar@rediffmail.com