Fodder Quality Research Articles

Production potential, quality and thermal utilization of fodder pearl millet varieties under different sowing environments in irrigated conditions of central Punjab in India

An experiment was conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India during two consecutive years i.e., 2019 and 2020 to study the effect of dates of sowing and pearl millet varieties on productivity and quality of green fodder and thermal utilization by the crop. The field experiment was laid-out in a split plot design with seven dates of sowing (1st April, 15th April, 1st May, 1st June, 15th June, 1st July and 15th July) in main plots and two varieties of pearl millet (PCB 165 and FBC 16) in sub plots with three replicates. Significantly highest green fodder yield (69.3 t/ha) was obtained with 1st June sowing which was probably on account of maximum plant height and number of tillers. The 1st June sown crop also recorded significantly highest dry matter and crude protein yield of 15.0 t/ha and 0.95 t/ha, respectively. Both advanced and delayed sowings recorded significant reduction in green fodder and dry matter yield. The crop sown on 1st May required maximum growing degree days, photo-thermal and helio thermal units at 50% flowering stage and sowing done early as well as late recorded significant reduction in these agro-climatic indices. Across different dates of sowing, PCB 165 registered an increase of 11.9 and 12.4% in green fodder and dry matter yields, respectively over FBC 16 due to higher accumulation of growing degree days, photo-thermal and helio thermal units for 50% flowering stage. The interaction effect showed that PCB 165 sown on 1st May, 1st and 15th June recorded significantly more green fodder yield over FBC 16, while the differences were narrow and non-significant at other dates of sowing.

Nutritional and antinutritional profiling of mulberry genetic resources amenable for animal feed

The present investigation aimed to provide nutritional and anti-nutritional profiling for fodder quality of twentyone mulberry genotypes. The genotypes were evaluated for various nutritional and anti-nutritional factors viz., moisture content, crude protein, crude fiber, crude fat, carbohydrate, ash, phenol, tannin, nitrate, saponin and flavonoids. Results showed that the crude protein varied significantly (P≤0.05) from 7.79 (ME-0663) to 34.06% (ME-0220). The mulberry genotype MI-0663 had the highest moisture content (77.53%) and ME-0001 had the lowest moisture content (64.72%). Crude fat content was high in ME-0109 (8.50%) and low in MI-0034 (2.49%). Crude fibre differed significantly from 7.55% (MI-0615) to 21.85% (MI-0536) and the carbohydrate ranged between 14.39 to 21.62%. Polyphenols recorded below the toxic level range varied from 0.72% (ME- 0220) to 2.92% (ME-0025) and tannin contents significantly (P≤0.05) varied from 1.23% (ME-0220) to 3.32% (ME-0025). The nitrate content was high in MI-0663 (0.165%) and low in MI-0017(0.026%). This study indicated that mulberry leaves had high protein content with low anti-nutritional factors, and these could be exploited as potential feed resources for livestock.

Triple-zero tillage and system intensification lead to enhanced productivity, micronutrient biofortification and moisture-stress tolerance ability in chickpea in a pearlmillet-chickpea cropping system of semi-arid climate

Pearlmillet-chickpea cropping system (PCCS) is emerging as an important sequence in semi-arid regions of south-Asia owing to less water-requirement. However, chickpea (dry-season crop) faces comparatively acute soil moisture-deficit over pearlmillet (wet-season crop), limiting overall sustainability of PCCS. Hence, moisture-management (specifically in chickpea) and system intensification is highly essential for sustaining the PCCS in holistic manner. Since, conservation agriculture (CA) has emerged is an important climate-smart strategy to combat moisture-stress alongwith other production-vulnerabilities. Hence, current study comprised of three tillage systems in main-plots viz., Complete-CA with residue retention (CAc), Partial-CA without residue-retention (CAp), and Conventional-tillage (ConvTill) under three cropping systems in sub-plots viz., conventionally grown pearlmillet-chickpea cropping system (PCCS) alongwith two intensified systems i.e. pearlmillet-chickpea-fodder pearlmillet cropping system (PCFCS) and pearlmillet-chickpea-mungbean cropping system (PCMCS) in split-plot design. The investigation outcomes mainly focused on chickpea (dry-season crop) revealed that, on an average, there was a significant increase in chickpea grain yield under CAc to the tune of 27, 23.5 and 28.5% under PCCS, PCFCS and PCMCS, respectively over ConvTill. NPK uptake and micronutrient (Fe and Zn) biofortification in chickpea grains were again significantly higher under triple zero-tilled CAc plots with residue-retention; which was followed by triple zero-tilled CAp plots without residue-retention and the ConvTill plots. Likewise, CAc under PCMCS led to an increase in relative leaf water (RLW) content in chickpea by ~ 20.8% over ConvTill under PCCS, hence, ameliorating the moisture-stress effects. Interestingly, CA-management and system-intensification significantly enhanced the plant biochemical properties in chickpea viz., super-oxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and glutathione reductase; thus, indicating their prime role in inducing moisture-stress tolerance ability in moisture-starved chickpea. Triple zero-tilled CAc plots also reduced the N2O fluxes in chickpea but with slightly higher CO2 emissions, however, curtailed the net GHG-emissions. Triple zero-tilled cropping systems (PCFCS and PCMCS) both under CAc and Cap led to a significant improvement in soil microbial population and soil enzymes activities (alkaline phosphatase, fluorescein diacetate, dehydrogenase). Overall, the PCCS system-intensification with mungbean (PCMCS) alongwith triple zero-tillage with residue-retention (CAc) may amply enhance the productivity, micronutrient biofortification and moisture-stress tolerance ability in chickpea besides propelling the ecological benefits under semi-arid agro-ecologies. However, the farmers should preserve a balance while adopting CAc or CAp where livestock equally competes for quality fodder.

Mutual Effect of Gypsum and Potassium on Nutrient Productivity in the Alfalfa-Grass Sward-A Case Study.

It was assumed that the production of alfalfa in soils naturally poor in available nutrients, such as potassium (K) and calcium (Ca), depends on the use of fertilizers. This hypothesis was validated in an experiment with an alfalfa-grass mixture carried out in 2012, 2013 and 2014 on soil formed from loamy sand that had a low content of available Ca and K. The two-factor experiment consisted of two levels of applied gypsum as a source of Ca (0, 500 kg ha-1) and five levels of PK fertilizers (absolute control, P60K0, P60K30, P60K60 and P60K120). The total yield of the sward was determined by the main seasons of alfalfa-grass sward use. Gypsum application increased the yield by 1.0 t ha-1. The highest yield of 14.9 t ha-1 was obtained on the plot fertilized with P60K120. Based on the nutrient content in the sward, it was shown that the main yield predictor was the content of K in the first cut of sward use. The reliable yield predictors, based on the total accumulation of nutrients in the sward, turned out to be K, Mg and Fe. The nutritional quality of the alfalfa-grass fodder, based on the K/Ca + Mg ratio, depended mainly on the season of the sward use, which was substantially deteriorated by the K fertilizer. Gypsum did not control this process. The productivity of the nutrients taken up by the sward depended on the accumulated K. Its yield-forming effect was significantly limited by manganese deficiency. The use of gypsum positively affected the uptake of micronutrients, consequently increasing their unit productivity, especially of manganese. Optimization of the production of alfalfa-grass mixtures in soils poor in basic nutrients requires micronutrients to be taken into account. Their uptake by plants can be limited by high doses of basic fertilizers.

POLY4 Positively Improves the Growth, Fodder Yield and Quality of Oat (Avena sativa L.) in Semi-Arid Tropics of Central India

A study was carried out to examine the effects of different potassium fertilizer sources on growth, fodder yield and quality at the Research Farm, Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. The experiment was conducted under semi-arid climatic conditions in a simple Randomized Block Design (RBD) with ten treatments (control, 100% NP, 100% recommended dose of potassium (RDK) through MOP, 100% RDK through SOP, 100% RDK through POLY4, 75% RDK+ 1% RDK foliar spray (30 days after sowing and 30 days after fodder harvest) through POLY4, 100% RDK through schoenite and 75% RDK+ 1% RDK foliar spray (30 days after sowing and 30 days after fodder harvest) through schoenite, 75% RDK through MOP + KSB (potassium solubilizer bacteria, Seed treatment), KSB alone (Seed treatment) and three replications. Results showed that application of 75% RDK+ 1% RDK foliar spray (30 days after sowing and 30 days after fodder harvest) through POLY4 recorded the significantly highest growth and yield contributing parameters, which is beneficially resulted in increased green fodder yield (159%) as compared to control. However, it was at par with the application 75% RDK+ 1% RDK foliar spray (30 days after sowing and 30 days after fodder harvest) through schoenite. The fodder quality parameters viz. CP, ADF, and NDF were also remarkably improved with the application of 75% RDK+1% RDK foliar spray (30 days after sowing and 30 days after fodder harvest) through POLY4 in oat crop. The results imply that farmers may apply 75% RDK+1% RDK foliar spray through POLY4 to achieve good quality higher green fodder in sandy clay loam soil for oat production.

The Indian Situation of Livestock Farming & Planetary Boundaries

The crucial thing about livestock farming is that it should not affect local, regional and global human life and environment in any way. The planetary boundaries (PB) that affect us all are – ozone depletion, loss of biosphere integrity, chemical pollution, release of novel entities into the atmosphere, climate change, ocean acidification, freshwater depletion, changes in global hydrological cycle, and the land system change. Scientists note that beyond these PB, we cannot push earth systems. In India, the situation is not yet that alarming, but steps need be initiated now to control them, as the local/regional entities affect the global PB. For India, crucial are lowering per capita consumption and achieving a more equitable distribution of access to resources among people. With respect to livestock farming important aspects are land use pattern, drinking water, greenhouse gas production, climate change and bio-physical consumption. And there are worrying aspects of costs of achieving this. Some suggested steps needed with respect to livestock farming are – resorting to soil and eco friendly farming that puts less demands on resources; use of indigenous livestock breeds and varieties with higher capacity to withstand harsh conditions; interventions to reduce enteric emissions by ruminants; improved quality of dry fodders using modern technologies; better use of dung, urine and left-over fodder; use of time-tested manure products like Panchagavya; encouraging mixed, diversified and integrated farming systems to reduce wastes; reduce water usage by and on livestock farms; and many-fold improvement of health care, extension, supplies and marketing to benefit small farmers..

English

Commercial fodder farming is rapidly expanding in Laikipia County, Kenya and there is an emerging market formation involving different market actors. Several market outlets are at the farmers’ disposal for channelling their fodder to consumers. The purpose of this study was therefore, to determine the factors which influence choices of fodder market outlets in Laikipia County. Using data from 204 fodder farmers, the Multivariate Probit model was used to estimate the determinants of farmers’ choice of fodder market outlets. Findings revealed that, the choice of local livestock farmers, local traders and buyers from other counties’ outlets was significantly influenced by age, experience, commercialization index, fodder quality, marketing costs, market agreements, market distance, market information, proactivity and price in varied directions and intensities. Therefore, collective action is recommended for easy access to market information, better prices, reduced marketing costs and proactive uptake of fodder business by fodder farmers. Policy interventions should focus on improving fodder quality and strengthening market linkages through contract farming and promoting access to fodder markets. To improve fodder productivity while simultaneously augmenting the amount of fodder offered for sale at various fodder outlets, stakeholders should take advantage of farmers’ experience and entrepreneurial orientation to guide their investments. Key words: Fodder, fodder farmers, multivariate probit model, determinants, market outlets, choice.

Influence of drought and heat stresses in fodder legumes productivity and nutritive value

Plants are often subjected to several environmental constraints in the field, often simultaneously, which significantly affect their productivity. Among these constraints, water deficit and heat stress are the main constraints limiting plant yield in the arid regions of the Mediterranean basin. Both of these abiotic factors are exacerbated by climate change. Fodder legumes provide a rich resource of plant nutrition to human diets, and are vital for food security and sustainable cropping. Numerous biochemical, molecular, and physiological responses are evoked by drought and heat stresses, influencing the fodder crop yield and nutritional value. When plants are water stressed, they are unable to maintain good growth and produce high yields. Drought also reduces the protein content of the plants, which can lead to a decrease in forage quality. Heat can negatively affect the productivity of forage legumes. High temperatures can cause heat stress which can lead to decreased photosynthesis and reduced productivity. In addition, high temperatures can result in decreased forage quality and increased nutrient losses. Exposure to combined water stress and heat can reduce the protein, fiber and mineral content of forage legumes and can also reduce their digestibility. This review summarizes the current status of the effects of drought and heat stresses on forage crops productivity and fodder quality.

Nutrient Management for Optimizing Fodder Production of Sorghum – A Review

An area under cultivation of fodder crops has almost remained static (8.3 million ha) for the last 3 decades and area under permanent pastures has been declining over the years. Whereas, uncontrolled overgrazing reduced productivity of permanent pastures. Overgrazing also affect the soil bio-physic-chemical properties. The situation is further aggravated due to increasing human population and preferential need for food and growing commercial crops. In India, supply of forage has always been a limiting factor for enhancing livestock production. Demand of green and dry fodder continuously increasing as enhancing country’s livestock population. The gap in feed and forage supply, however, can effectively be reduced through integrated crop management practices with greater emphasis on nutrient management in forage crops. Application of nitrogen increases crude protein, digestible dry matter content and metabolic energy. Growth attributes with respect to plant height, stem diameter, Leaf Area Index (LAI) and number of basal node tillers increased with increase of phosphorus application levels. Application of micronutrients improves enzymatic activities and it leads to increase growth and yield of the fodder sorghum. Review regarding the use of adequate and optimum dose of nutrients especially nitrogen, phosphorus and micronutrients are of prime concern for the fodder sorghum crop in India. Keeping these points in view, the literature reviewed pertaining to the nitrogen, phosphorus and micronutrients in this crop to obtain higher biomass and good quality fodder production.

Accomplish of Integrated Nutrient Management in Fodder Crops: A Review

The availability of quality fodder in good quantity is necessary to improve the productivity of the animal. Since India place 2nd in population around the world, so to address the need for milk, the requirement of good quality fodder is necessary. In our country, there is a shortage of quality fodder due to less work being done to improve its quality and availability of lesser areas of land for its cultivation. This review paper goes through the previous work done to analyse the effect of combined nutrient sources. The application of inorganic nutrients with the combination of organic nutrients leads to improve crop yield with improvement in soil health and its productivity without deteriorating the environmental conditions. Soil is the primary source of nutrients for crops, and any degradation of the soil can result in a decrease in crop yield. Therefore, it is necessary to implement Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) practices to ensure the sustainability of natural resources and increase crop productivity.

Hay and Silage Making: An Alternate Source of Quality Fodder for Dairy Farmers

Hay and Silage Making: An Alternate Source of Quality Fodder for Dairy Farmers

Grassland cut detection based on Sentinel-2 time series to respond to the environmental and technical challenges of the Austrian fodder production for livestock feeding

The relationship between yield and quality of grassland fodder is an important factor for livestock farmers to consider when deciding the timing of grassland cuts. Even for experienced farmers, estimating this relationship is difficult because external factors such as weather can affect the growth rate of plants. Satellite remote sensing techniques have good potential for the modelling of fodder biomass and quality. However, more accurate grassland cut dates are needed. Unfortunately, current cut detection methods vary in both form, function and accuracy and a common framework for cut detection does not yet exist, especially for in-season cut estimation. The aim of this study is to develop an improved methodology for Austrian fodder production systems that can be used for both post-season and in-season cut detection. In the first case, cuts are detected at the end of the vegetation period and used for post-season assessment at national and regional levels. In the second case, cuts are detected in near-real-time during the season, and they can be used to model yield and quality. The approach is tested across the Austrian landscape on mown grasslands using freely available Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery on the Google Earth Engine (GEE). The method uses a fitted NDVI curve obtained by iteratively smoothing the upper envelope of the actual observations using the Whittaker smoother. Cuts are detected by meeting a threshold in the difference between the fitted NDVI curve and the actual observed NDVI values. Additional innovative steps were developed to reduce the impact of cloud cover on the results for timely and accurate cut detection, including a gradient boosting algorithm to detect false positive cuts due to missed clouds. A set of rules for the method was trained on 97 plots and validated on a further 502 plots over three years (2020, 2021 and 2022). The method performed well in plots with two to four cuts per season, but occasionally struggled in more intensively managed systems, most likely due to a rule preventing two cuts within 27 days. A pooled post-season cut date detection f-score of 0.79 suggests that the method can accurately detect cuts, with absolute detection errors of <5 days. The main misclassifications were the results of (thin and semi-transparent) clouds being erroneously detected as cuts. With an f-score of 0.80 and total absolute delayed detection of approximately 6 days, the in-season cut date detection performs similarly to the post-season configuration. This indicates a high potential for near-real-time applications. Our results moreover indicate a general improvement of existing methodologies despite performing the cut detection across the fragmented, mountainous and diverse Austrian landscape. Future work will include grazed pastures and natural grassland with less intensive human activity.

The Impact of Rotational Pasture Management for Farm-Bred Fallow Deer (Dama dama) on Fodder Quality in the Context of Animal Welfare

Extensive breeding of farmed cervids, similarly to other livestock, affects the vegetation of grasslands in different seasons. For this reason, the impact of the rotational grazing of fallow deer on the chemical and species composition of the pasture sward was assessed, along with the possibility of using these animals for grasslands conservation. The species composition of the pastures was analysed through the botanical-weight method. A quality index and mineral concentration test by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were used to evaluate the feed. The highest proportion of valuable grasses, such as Dactylis glomerata, Poa pratensis and Lolium perenne, was recorded in the summer pens (65.7–66.1%), while the smallest proportion was recorded in the control area (46.1%). The estimated yield potential was relatively large, from 5.74 to 7.02 t ha−1 dry matter. The lowest total protein content occurred in the control area in the spring and autumn. The summer pens, including the sown one, had a better fodder quality, depending on the species composition. All pens were characterised by a high production potential and similar floristic composition, without the participation of undesirable plant species, which confirms the hypothesis that, under extensive grazing conditions, fallow deer can be used for grassland conservation.

Evaluation of the Mineral and Nitrogen Contents of Three Forage Crops (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp., Pennisetum purpureum Schum. and Hyparrhenia diplandra (Hack.) Stapf.) Grown in the Boundji area (Republic of Congo)

Pennisetum purpureum Schum., Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. and Hyparrhenia diplandra (Hack.) Stapf are fodder plants that can provide quality herbaceous above-ground phytomass for domestic animal feeding. They are used in degraded pasture restoration practices. The objective of this study was to evaluate the mineral elements and nitrogenous matter of these three forage crops. The latter were planted in the pedoclimatic conditions of the Boundji area. Phytomass samples were taken two months after planting by sowing seeds for Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp., by cuttings for Pennisetum purpureum Schum. and by splitting the stumps for Hyparrhenia diplandra (Hack.) Stapf. The samples were oven-dried at 70 °C to constant weight and chemically analysed. The results obtained show that the mineral elements and nitrogenous matter vary from one forage species to another. Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. is the richest forage species in total nitrogenous matter (16.43 ± 2.43%) and digestible nitrogenous matter (117.50 ± 22.64 g/k DM). It provides excellent quality fodder capable of meeting the needs of maintenance, growth, reproduction, gestation and milk production in cattle. Pennisetum purpureum Schum. is the richest grass in total nitrogenous matter (8.43 ± 1.81%) and digestible nitrogenous matter (43.18 ± 16.83 g/kg DM). Pennisetum purpureum Schum. and Hyparrhenia diplandra (Hack.) Stapf produce good quality fodder to meet the vital needs of cattle. These results could be used for the improvement of degraded pastures in order to sustainably manage the pastoral ecosystem.

Effects of different additions to Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) on silage quality

This research was carried out to determine the effects of different additions (urea and molasses) used with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) silage on fermentation, in vitro gas production, microbiological properties, in vitro digestibility parameters, and relative fodder quality (RFQ) in silages made under laboratory conditions. The Italian grass (Lolium multiflorum L.) used in the study was chopped to an approximate size of 2–3.0 cm. Amounts of 0, 2, and 4% molasses and 0, 0.5, and 1% urea were added to the fresh material as a percentage of dry matter. Because of the urea, crude protein (CP) of Italian ryegrass silage increased, but the content of neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) decreased. While the addition of urea decreased the acetic acid and butyric acid concentrations of the silage, it increased the pH, lactic acid, and ammonia (NH3) content. Molasses addition increased in vitro gas production and organic matter digestibility (OMD); urea increased metabolic energy (ME) and the net energy lactation (NEL) values of silages. Urea and molasses both increased in vitro digestibility parameters, microbial protein production and synthesis, and relative fodder quality of the silage. As a result of the research, it was determined that urea and molasses could be used at contents of 1.5% and 4%, respectively, in Italian ryegrass silage.

Effects of Sodic Water Irrigation and Neutralizing Amendments on Physiological, Biochemical, and Nutritional Quality Traits of Fodder Sorghum

This study was conducted at two farmers’ fields to assess the production potential and quality of summer fodder sorghum intervened between the rice-wheat cropping sequences (RWCS) on high residual alkalinity, i.e., residual sodium carbonate (RSC) water irrigation-induced sodic soil. The treatments were comprised of two field sites having different residual alkalinity [RSC ~5 me L−1 (RSC-1) and ~7 me L−1 (RSC-2) water irrigation in main plots, four neutralization strategies, i.e., control/unamended condition (N0), gypsum @ 7.5 t ha−1 (N1), pressmud @ 10 t ha−1 (N2) and gypsum @ 3.75 t ha−1 + pressmud @ 5 t ha−1 (N3) in sub plots and two varietal sequences of RWCS, i.e., salt tolerant varieties (CSR 30 basmati fb KRL 210) and traditionally grown varieties (PB 1121 fb HD 2967) of rice and wheat as sub–sub plots. Sorghum cv. Sugargraze (Advanta Company) was grown after the harvesting of wheat and cut for green fodder before transplanting rice during both years. Sorghum physiological and biochemical traits [relative water content (RWC), total chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (gS), transpiration rate (E), chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), photon quantum yield [Y (II)] and K/Na ratio]; fodder quality traits [Crude protein (CP), and ether extract (EE)] and productivity [green fodder yield (GFY), dry matter yield, CP yield, EE yield and ash yield) and profitability (gross returns, net returns, benefit–cost ratio) significantly decreased with the increase in irrigation water RSC from 5 to 7 me L−1. Proline, total soluble sugar (TSS), total soluble protein (TSP), dry matter (DM), ash, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), neutral detergent insoluble CP (NDICP) and acid detergent insoluble CP (ADICP) decreased with increasing RSC of irrigation water. Sodicity neutralization considerably improved sorghum physiological adaptation mechanisms, fodder quality, productivity and profitability. The introduction of summer fodder sorghum between RWCS resulted in additional net returns (NR) (INR 13.64 to 20.79 × 103 ha−1). Our results indicate that pressmud proved a feasible alternative to replace and/or reduce the quantity of gypsum required for neutralization of RSC water irrigation. Growing summer fodder sorghum between RWCS along with neutralization of RSC water irrigation can increase the availability of quality green fodder during lean period and also increase the profitability of the rice-wheat cropping system in high residual alkalinity water irrigation conditions.

Productivity and Nutritional Quality of Nitrogen-Fixing and Non-Fixing Shrub Species for Ruminant Production

Fodder shrubs are important dry season feed sources for livestock in semi-arid environments. It has been proposed that a mixture of leguminous with non-leguminous shrubs may increase rates of N cycling and improve biomass and fodder quality. The objective of the present study was to assess the biomass productivity and fodder quality of leguminous shrubs growing a mixture with non-leguminous shrubs. Three shrub species—the legume Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) and the non-legumes Guazuma ulmifolia (Lam.) and Moringa oleifera (Lam.)—were grown as legume/non-legume mixtures and as monocultures. Total fodder production and quality were estimated over five harvests at three-month intervals. The Leucaena–Guazuma mixture had the largest fodder production (9045 kg ha−1 year−1), followed by the Leucaena monocrop (7750 kg ha−1 year−1). Total nitrogen accumulation in the foliage was also high in the Leucaena–Guazuma mixture, reaching 282 kg ha−1 year−1; the Leucaena monocrop accumulated 244 kg N, while the Moringa monocrop took up only 46 kg N ha−1. The concentration of polyphenols was high in Leucaena and Guazuma, while Moringa had the lowest value. The high survival and excellent growth rates, as well as the high foliage production observed in Leucaena and Guazuma, suggest that they have the potential to provide high-quality fodder for livestock.

Impact of climate change on livestock production in Bangladesh - A review

Livestock plays a crucial part in the global food chain; however, its production and supply could be jeopardized due to climate change-related risks. Therefore, this study gathered information regarding adverse climatic livestock production, adaptation, and mitigation strategies to the hazards' impact, finding research opportunities, and suggesting ideas for policymaking. The impact of increased temperature, altered rainfall, drought, flood, riverbank erosion, salinity, natural calamities like cyclones, etc. on livestock production was reviewed and reported in this article. They are responsible for reducing the availability and quality of fodder and water, declining livestock growth and reproduction, spreading diseases, and posing a threat to animal genetic resources. On the other hand, Bangladesh is anticipated to descend under water as a result of sea level rise resulting in a saline incursion into cropland and freshwater, drastically affecting crop and livestock production, especially in coastal regions. The impact of the hazards can be reduced through following some mitigation and adaptation strategies such as adopting and improving local breeds, practicing mixed farming systems, embracing climate smart livestock management systems, providing insurances for the losses to farmers, and so on. Feeding practices can be altered during flood by providing tree leaves, UMB, unconventional feeds. In conclusion, this review provided a compiled knowledge of climate change affecting livestock production, identifies the research gaps and suggests further research opportunities in this sector. Bangladesh Journal of Animal Science 52 (1): 1-14, March 2023

Subsidizing the dairy industry in Kazakhstan: status, problems, solutions

The goal is to increase the competitiveness of domestic dairy products, which can be achieved through the use of advanced technologies and effective public support measures that stimulate the growth of labor productivity and ensure the country's food security. Methods – the study was conducted on the basis of the use of monographic and abstract-logical methods. Results – it is shown that the level of state regulation depends on each industry. The most common method of specialization in agricultural sector is subsidizing agricultural enterprises, aimed at reducing costs of low-profit farms, increasing the volume of food production. In Kazakhstan, one of the problematic areas of the agro-industrial complex that needs subsidies is production of milk and dairy products. The article discusses the current situation in this market segment of the republic, the degree of provision of the population with them, based on consumption rates per capita and the features of public assistance measures in the development of dairy cattle breeding. An analysis of target payments from the budget for the dairy subcomplex, dynamics over the past five years (2018-2022) is given. The provision of the population with dairy products depends on the current system of dairy processing enterprises and their workload with raw materials. Conclusions – the article focuses on production of raw milk, hard cheese, milk powder, butter. The loading of dairy plants with raw materials must be increased to 80%. There is an urgent need to solve the problems of reducing import dependence. As part of these tasks, the State has significantly expanded support for farmers engaged in dairy farming, taking into account the strengthening of forage base, improving quality of fodder, rational land use, increasing the yield of fodder and fodder crops, improving the structure of sown areas, innovative and investment modernization, and providing highly qualified personnel.

Crop and livestock productivity, soil health improvement and insect dynamics: Impact of different fodder-based cropping systems in a rainfed region of India

CONTEXTFarmers in rainfed areas of South Asia depend on livestock to augment income, and provide manure for soil and crops. However, the full potential of the livestock is not realized due to the non-availability of quality fodder. The deficit may be attributed to limitation in expansion of cultivable land as well as non-availability of fodder from the protected forest areas. It is possible to enhance the productivity of the livestock by crop-livestock systems. OBJECTIVESThis study was conducted to determine the crop and fodder production potential, nutritive value of the fodder, and reductions in soil nutrients loss and pests of the seven fodder-based inter-cropping systems in a rainfed region in South India. METHODSA medium-term field experiment was conducted from 2015 to 2021 at the Gungal Research Farm of ICAR's Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (17o05’ N, 78o39’E) with seven fodder-based cropping systems involving conventional crops either alone or in combinations with annual or perennial fodder species. The seven systems (treatments) were: sorghum + pigeon pea - hedge lucerne, sorghum + pigeonpea - guinea grass, castor - hedge lucerne, castor - guinea grass, sorghum - fodder - clusterbean - fodder-cowpea - fodder -horsegram, sole sorghum, and sole pigeonpea. Impacts of these systems on crop and livestock productivity, reductions in surface soil erosion and nutrient loss, and soil health and pest dynamics were studied. Livestock based studies were also conducted with the harvested fodders. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSWe found that sorghum + pigeonpea-hedge lucerne on average can produce 3865 kg ha−1 of sorghum grain equivalent yield and 37,820 kg ha−1 of sorghum fodder equivalent yield. The sorghum + pigeon pea-guinea grass would benefit the farmers with no animals, by selling the high biomass grass fodder and minimizing the risk of crop failure. These two systems are also better in providing green fodder for at least 8–9 months without any supplementary irrigation. We also observed increase in soil N, OC and soil microbes. There was reduction in runoff (by 51–52%) and sediment loss (by 52%), and reduced pest and disease incidence in these systems. SIGNIFICANCEOur study demonstrated that perennial fodder-based cropping systems are an excellent option to enhance the sustainability and livelihood security of rainfed farmers by reducing the risk of crop failure and supporting the livestock. These systems also open up the scope of integrating tree fodders especially in the bunds and farm borders.