Strategies for Higher Nutrient Use Efficiency and Productivity in Forage Crops

Abstract

Adequate supply of quality forage is essential for sustainable livestock production and productivity. There is a net deficit of 35.6 % green fodder and 10.95 % dry fodder in India at present. This gap in forage supply can effectively be reduced through integrated crop management practices with greater emphasis on nutrient management. However, nutrient management is specific and dynamic in nature in forage crops viz-a-viz grain crops due to factors such as seasonality, perenniality, fodder as end product and multicut behaviour. High-intensity cropping has led to the multi-nutrient deficiencies in forage-based cropping systems. Area-specific nutrient management studies involving NPK along with S, Zn, B and Mo has been attempted to correct the deficiency and balancing the nutrient for quality fodder and livestock health. This chapter thoroughly reviews and discusses the nutrient management strategies in annual and perennial cultivated forage crops, range grasses and legumes, forage-based intercropping and cropping systems and rotations. Integration of secondary and micronutrients has been considered for increased quality biomass production. Application of 40 kg S/ha in sorghum shows significant increase in the Zn, Fe, Cu and cellulose content while decrease in NDF and ADF content of fodder. The efficiency of fertilizer N, P, K, S and micronutrients is reported as 50–60, 15–20, 60–80, 8–12 and 5 %, respectively, in most crops. The nutrient use efficiency can be increased further in forage crop-based cropping system by adopting conservation agriculture, balanced nutrient management, use of biological fertilizers and synergizing the cropping system approaches.