Sustainable Fodder Production Strategy
through Utilization of Wastelands in HillsJ K Bisht,VPKAS, Almora
Cultivated land - Residues, Weeds, Terrace risers, Slopes
Fallow land - Grasses, Herbs, ShrubsForest land - Grasses, Shrubs, Leaf fodderHigh altitude - Pastures: Grazing
NWHR: It offers following sources of fodder
Permanent pastures
Land under misc. trees
Forest area
Land put to non agril. use
Barren & uncult. waste
Net sown area
Cultivable waste
Fallow-current & other
Jammu & Kashmir
2.9%1.6%
62.3%
4.5%
6.6%
16.6%
3.2%2.3%
Himachal Pradesh
35.1%
1.4%
30.8%
5.8%
4.4%
16.7%
3.5%2.3%
Uttarakhand
4.5%
4.3%
65.8%
2.2%5.9%
10.3%5.6%
1.3%
Different categories of land available for fodder cultivation
Landuse
Area (million ha) Area availablefor fodder
cultivation (million ha)
RemarksJ&K H.P. UK Total
Agriculture 0.75 0.55 0.79 2.09 0.20 Ridge top and slope of risers (10% area)
Cultivable, waste, fallow
0.15 0.13 0.34 0.62 0.12 Area adjoining habitation(20% area)
Current fallow
0.08 0.06 0.07 0.21 0.06 Inclusion of fodder in cropping system (30% area)
Forest 2.75 1.10 3.47 7.32 1.40 Plantation of in forest floors under community forest (20% area)
Total area 3.73 1.84 4.67 10.24 1.78
ConstraintsAgro eco system constraints
Shortage of fodder Overgrazing Rangeland deterioration
Management constraints Suitable fodder trees Poor management Lack of integrated approach
Social and policy constraints Less area under cultivated fodder crops Attitude of free availability Community organization Benefits of sharing
Major Constraints and Potentials
Fodder Needs
Cattle population in UK = 48.87 lakh
Supply Green fodder = 105.12 (lakh t/year) Dry Fodder = 38.02 (lakh t/year) Total = 143.14 (lakh t/year)
Shortage Green fodder = 92.28 lakh t/year or 46.74 percent Dry Fodder = 16.29 lakh t/year or 29.99 percent
Requirement Green fodder = 197.40 (lakh t/year) Dry Fodder = 54.31 (lakh t/year) Total = 251.71 (lakh t/year)
Year Supply Demand Deficit as % of demand (actual demands)
Green Dry Green Dry Green Dry
1995 379 421 947 526 60 (568) 20 (105)
2000 385 428 988 549 61 (604) 22 (121)
2005 390 443 1025 569 62 (635) 22 (126)
2010 395 451 1061 589 63 (666) 24 (138)
2015 401 466 1097 609 64(696) 23 (143)
2020 406 473 1134 630 64 (728) 25 (157)
2025 411 488 1170 650 65 (759) 25 (162)
Source: Draft report of the working group on animal husbandry and dairying for five-year plan (2002-2007), Govt. of India, Planning Commission.
Scenario of feed and fodder requirement & availability: (In million tones)
ConstraintsAgro eco system constraints
Shortage of fodder Overgrazing Rangeland deterioration
Management constraints Suitable fodder trees Poor management Lack of integrated approach
Social and policy constraints Less area under cultivated fodder crops Attitude of free availability Community organization Benefits of sharing
Major Constraints and Potentials
•Continuous grazing and over stocking•Grazing of animals in large number too early at regeneration stage•grazing till the very onset of severe winter denying the opportunity to the nutritious forage var. to flower and to produce seeds•Proliferation of weeds•Soil erosion
Reasons of deterioration in the condition of bugyals
ConstraintsAgro eco system constraints
Shortage of fodder Overgrazing Rangeland deterioration
Management constraints Suitable fodder trees Poor management Lack of integrated approach
Social and policy constraints Less area under cultivated fodder crops Attitude of free availability Community organization Benefits of sharing
Major Constraints and Potentials
Potential area for fodder production
Fallow land - Grasses, Herbs, Shrubs
Forest land - Grasses, Shrubs, Leaf fodder
High altitude – Pastures, Grazing
Cultivated land - Residues, Weeds,
Terrace risers, Slopes
Introduction of Improved Grasses and Legumes
Treatments Fodder
Yield (q/ha)
1. Pangola 272.8
2. Chrysopogon 238.3
3. Siratro pure 185.8
4. Pangola + Siratro (1:1) 357.3
5. Pangola + Siratro (1:2) 354.0
6. Chrysopogon + Siratro(1:1) 210.2
7. Chrysopogon + Siratro1:2) 234.7
Controlled Grazing
Enclosure period
Herbage production
Average (q/ha)
Species
(No.)
Open grassland 9.5 13.0 Two years’ closure 31.2 22.0 Five years’ closure 37.2 26.0 Long term cllosure 44.6 38.0
Fertility Management
Nitrogen levels (kg/ha)
Phosphorus levels (kg/ha)
Mean
0 30 60
0 17.8 23.2 32.2 24.4
30 34.2 42.8 52.7 43.2
60 47.0 55.1 70.2 57.4
Mean 33.0 40.3 51.7
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Two cuts0
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Green forage Yield (q/ha)
Cutting Management
Potential area for fodder production
Fallow land - Grasses, Herbs, Shrubs
Forest land - Grasses, Shrubs, Leaf fodder
High altitude - Pastures: Grazing
Cultivated land - Residues, Weeds,
Terrace risers, Slopes
Potential area for fodder production
Fallow land - Grasses, Herbs, Shrubs
Forest land - Grasses, Shrubs, Leaf fodder
High altitude – Pastures, Grazing
Cultivated land - Residues, Weeds,
Terrace risers, Slopes
Potential area for fodder production
Fallow land - Grasses, Herbs, Shrubs
Forest land - Grasses, Shrubs, Leaf fodder
High altitude - Pastures: Grazing
Cultivated land - Residues, Weeds,
Terrace risers, Slopes
Potential area for fodder production
Fallow land - Grasses, Herbs, Shrubs
Forest land - Grasses, Shrubs, Leaf fodder
High altitude - Pastures: Grazing
Cultivated land - Residues, Weeds,
Terrace risers, Slopes
Fodder Production Round the Year in Hills
S.N. Months Fodder trees Grasses Cultivated fodder
1 Dec-Jan. Grewia optiva, Quercus leucotrichophora, Q. glauca ,Q.dilata, and Ailanthus excelsa,
Perennial rye, Tall fescue, Cocksfoots, Broome and Grassland manawa
Berseem, clover, Dual purpose wheat and Barley, Lucerne, Oat and Mustard
2 Feb-Mar. Ficus spp,.Bauhinia retusa Prunus padam, and Fraxinus micantha,
Perinnial rye, Tall fescue, Cocksfoots, Broome and Grassland manawa
Berseem, Lucerne, clover and Oat
Fodder Production Round the Year in Hills
S.N. Months Fodder trees Grasses Cultivated fodder
3 Apr.-May Celtis austrelis, Q. leucotrichophora, Robinia
Perinnial rye, Tall fescue, Setaria Spp. and Rhodes
Berseem, Lucerne, clover, and Oat
4. June-July Bauhinia spp., Albizia, Morus alba, Robinia pseudo acacia and Alnus nepalensis
Hy. Napier, Setaria Spp. Rhodes, Panicum Spp, Pangola, Thysanolaena maxima, Congo signal and local
Maize cowpea and Desmodium
S.N. Months Fodder trees
Grasses Cultivated fodder
5 Aug.-Sep
Bauhinia spp.,Albizia, Morus alba, Robinia pseudo acacia and Alnus nepalensis
Hy. Napier, Setaria Spp., Rhodes, Panicum Spp,, Thysanolaena maxima Pangola, Congo signal and local
Maize cowpea and Desmodium
6. Oct.-Nov.
Bauhinia spp, Albizia, and Alnus nephalensis,
Hy. Napier, Setaria spp. Rhodes, Panicum Spp, Pangola, Thysanolaena maxima , Congo signal and local
Desmodium, Cowpea, Perinnial and winter grasses ,
Fodder Production Round the Year in Hills
• A rational proportion of trees/ shrubs and grasses in grazing lands
• Regulating grazing in pasture and grazing lands
• Planting of improved grasses and leguminous fodder in the
grasslands
• Creation of fodder banks & Scientific processing
• Changing the forest plantation policy from industrial to fodder
oriented
• Undertaking of special rejuvenation programme for alpine pasture
• Development of suitable fodder production models as per land
holding
FUTURE RESEARCH NEEDS
• Participatory techniques to be adopted to identify the problems and to carry out the improvement programme
• Tree canopy manipulation through biological means such as
goat grazing, optimizing tree density and spacing in plantation
• Standardization of lopping intensity, frequency and seasonality
• Development of appropriate planting technology and design in
line with local ecological and socio-economic conditions
• Identifying /developing a diversity of tree species that can
be planted by the local farmer
• Development of appropriate PHT for fodder, considering local
socio economic conditions
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