3. Need for fodder technologies
The livestock sector represents around a third of agricultural GDP in
most countries.
Low productivity of livestock owing to fodder deficit (accounts for 50-60
%), genetic improvement, health management
The limited land endowments make it difficult for the farmer to earmark
adequate land for fodder cultivation.
(Wani et al., 2014; Ahmad et al, 2017)
The possibility of increased forage production by bringing additional area
under fodder cultivation are limited and it is therefore, imperative that
continuous efforts are made to augment forage resource availability through
other niche areas.
4. There has been greater demand for
livestock products globally as human
populations increase and their dietary
preferences change.
In the past three decades, production
and consumption of livestock products
in developing countries has grown at
3-5% p.a.
By 2050, total meat and milk
consumption in developing countries is
expected to at least double.
These trends present both
opportunities and challenges for
livestock production sytems.
5.
6. The Indian Himalayan region (IHR)
with 250-300 km across stretches over
2,500 km from Jammu & Kashmir in
the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the
east spreading between 21 o 57' – 37 o
5' N latitudes and 72 o 40' – 97 o 25' E
longitudes. This great chain of
mountains in Indian territory extends
all along the northern border of the
country from the eastern border of
Pakistan on the west to the frontiers of
Myanmar in the east covering
partially/fully twelve states of India,
viz., Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim,
Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland,
Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura,
Meghalaya and hills of Assam & West
Bengal
Agro-climatic
zone Climate Rainfall (in mm) State/regions
Zone I High altitude temperate <1200 Jammu & Kashmir
(humid to cold arid)
Zone I Hill temperate 1200-1800 Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal
(per humid to sub-
humid)
Zone II Per humid to humid 1800-2200
Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and
Tripura
Zone II Per humid to humid 2200-2800 Sub Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim,
Assam and Meghalaya
Zone II Per humid to humid >2800 Arunachal Pradesh
Agro-climatic zonations in the IHR
[Source: Agro-climatic Regional Planning, Planning Commission, 1989]
8. North Western Himalayas-livestock sector at a glance
Total livestock population in J&K, HP and UK in 2012 was 9200842,
4844431 and 4794730 i,e 3.67 % of the country (512057301)
(19th Livestock census, 2012).
Low productivity of the livestock.
Acute shortage of fodder especially green nutritious fodder is the major
cause of low livestock productivity
Forage cultivation is restricted to only about one per cent of the cultivated
area in the entire Himalayan region, (4 % in Jammu and Kashmir)
In J&K deficit in green and dry fodder is 67% and 27.31% , respectively
In HP the deficit of annual requirement of green and dry fodder has been
calculated at 54 and 34 percent, respectively
(Radotra, 2015)
9. Current feeding strategies in Himalayan states
The fodder obtained from arable land is insufficient.
Currently fodder is obtained from (Ahmad et al., 2016):
62% from Forests (tree, shrub, leaves and herbaceous ground flora)
38% from Agro-forestry systems, low altitude grasslands, degraded
lands, high altitude grasslands and crop residues
All types of grasslands have been degraded and these are found to be less
productive (Radotra et al, 2015)
Himalayan states import various livestock products from the plains. Besides
grazing and fodder trees, the major local forage resource is the crop residue,
which again is too inadequate to sustain the livestock (Dev, 2001)
This makes the exploration of alternatives even more important.
10. The Himalaya: uniqueness
Among the global mountain system, the Himalaya is the most complex and diversified, and separates
the northern part of the Asian continent from South Asia. The region being a discrete geographical and
ecological entity, figures prominently in major biophysical settings of the planet earth.
This vast mountain range (over 2500 km in length, between 80 and 300 km wide and rising from low-
lying plains to over 8000 m asl) produces a distinctive climate of its own and influences the climate of
much of Asia.
The eastern Himalaya (including northeast India) that harbours about 8000 species of flowering plants
is considered a cradle of flowering plants, whereas the western Himalaya supports over 5000 species of
flowering plants.
The Indian Himalayan region (IHR) as a whole, supports nearly 50% of the total flowering plants in
India of which 30% flora is endemic to the region.
This region has a total geographical area of about 533,604 km2 inhabited by 4,85,98,561 people,
representing 16.16% of the total area and 3.73% of the total population of India.
The region is characterized by mountain specificities viz. inaccessibility, fragile, marginality, diversity
(heterogeneity), niche (natural suitability) and adaptability.
(Jodha, 1992; Nandy et al., 2006; Badola and Aitken, 2003)
11. This has been identified one of the mega biodiversity hotspots (Hasan et al., 2009)
and supports
18,440 species of plants (Singh & Hajra, 1996; Samant et al., 1998)
of which 25.3% are endemic to the Himalaya,
1748 medicinal plants (Samant et al., 1998),
675 wild edibles (Samant & Dhar, 1997),
279 fodder species (Samant et al., 1998),
155 sacred plants (Samant & Pant, 2003),
118 essential oil plants with medicinal values (Samant & Palni, 2000).
12. Fodder Resources (Constraints & Strategies)
S.No. Sources Challenges/Constraints Opportunities/Strategies
1. Grasses and
legumes (from
forests, orchards,
pastures,
agricultural
land, grazing
lands, wastelands,
alpine grasslands)
Low yielding grasses, Deterioration of
pasturelands, Overgrazing,
encroachment
Forage production from forest areas can be
increased many folds by introducing high
yielding grasses and legumes, Pasture
development activities, Development of
hortipastoral and silvipastoral systems
2. Cultivated Fodder
Crops
Less area under fodder crops,
Cultivar development
Extra agricultural land should be brought
under fodder crop cultivation.
3. Fodder Tree leaves
(Fodder trees,
shrubs)
More emphasis given to Poplars,
certain
trees are lopped for fuelwood only
Screening of top feed resources, lopping
management, farmers should be provided
with saplings of popular fodder trees
4. Crop Residues
(Rice, wheat and
barley straw,
Maize stover etc),
pea and potato
haulms
Paddy straw in Kashmir valley used in
packaging of fruits.
Crop residues are low in forage quality,
storage needs more space, wastage due
to faulty system of feeding,
silage making has not picked up
Chopping of all kind of fodders before
feeding to livestock increases intake,
enhances palatability and there is zero
wastage, Using feeding troughs, baskets or
mangers, Fortification of straws and other
dry fodder with urea, common salt and
jaggery, conversion into compact feed
blocks to convenient size and weight, area
specific mineral mixtures
13. Crop residue yield (t/ha)Forage yield on dry matter basis (t/ha)
Wani, et al, 2014
15. Underutilized Fodder Genetic Resources…
Underutilized crop genetic resource
-Not been previously classified as major crops
-Under-researched
-Under-exploited
-Currently occupying low levels of utilization
-Mainly confined to small land holder farmers
Neglected and underutilized crop species (NUCS)
Orphan crops
They have economic importance:
-Gene pool
-monetary terms
-Ecological significance
-Social and cultural
-Augment major crop genetic resources
Fodder Genetic Resources of the Country
16. Cultivated Fodder
Fodder production is primarily a land-use
activity.
Cultivated fodder (most commonly oats,
berseem, shaftal and maize).
Other potential crops include sorghum, pearl
millet, lucerne, cowpea, soyabean.
Area under fodder crops has by and large
remained static
There is ample scope for fodder
intensification (peri-urban dairying,
cooperative milk federations, sheep rearing)
Use of perennial fodder crops in existing
fodder production systems
17. Potential remunerative forage based crop sequences
Zone Crop sequence
Green fodder
equivalent yield
(t/ha/year)
Temperate zone(1500-3000 m) Rice - Oat 60
Rice - Mustard 30
Rice - Berseem 60
Rice + (Phalaris hybrid + Tall fescue + Orchard grass
on field bunds) – Oat + Mustard
80
Maize - Oat 90
Maize (F) + Cowpea (F) – Oat + Berseem 100
Intermediate zone(800-1500 m) Maize + Cowpea - Wheat 85
Maize (F)+ Cowpea (F) - Wheat 80
Maize -Oat 90
Sub-tropical zone
(<500-800 m)
Rice - Wheat 40
Rice + (BN hybrid + Guinea grass on field bunds) –
Wheat + Berseem
100
Rice + (Chrysopogon + Heteropogon on field bunds) –
Wheat + Berseem
100
Cold arid zone(> 3000 m) Alfalfa + Phalaris/Tall fescue on field bunds 30-40
Barley + Phalaris/Tall fescue on field bunds 20-25
19. Name No. of
entries
Best
performing line
Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea
(Schreb.) Hack)
25 IGFRIRS-Festuca-14
Orchard grass/ cocksfoot (Dactylis
glomerata L.)
26 IGFRIRS-Dactylis-11
Harding grass (Phalaris aquatica L) 6 IGFRIRS- Phalaris -2
Prairie grass (Bromus unioloides Kunth ) 33 IGFRIRS-Bromus-27
Timothy (Phleum pratense L) 30 IGFRIRS-Phleum-23
Red fescue (Festuca rubra L) 44 IGFRIRS- rubra -38
White clover (Trifolium repens L.) 28 IGFRIRS-Tr-23
Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) 27 IGFRIRS- Tp-13
Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop) 11 IGFRIRS-Onobrychis-10
Best performing genotypes for fodder yield and yield attributing
traits
20. Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia)
Sainfoin originated in arid regions of Eurasia
first domesticated in Europe.
In Old French the translation of sainfoin is “healthy hay”.
14-16 t DM ha-1
It is a forage legume adapted to similar regions and uses as alfalfa, however
its main advantage is its bloat-free characteristic.
A significant amount of sainfoin research and variety development occurred in
the Western U.S. and Canada during the 1970’s, but the crop was never
widely grown.
Sainfoin is best adapted to well-drained, calcareous soils.
A deep taproot with a few main branches and numerous fine lateral roots form
the root system.
Sainfoin is a nutritious legume
but underutilized…
21. Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia)
It grows from 40 to 100 cm in height….
Many hollow stems, arising from basal buds, form a branched crown. Each
stem has pinnate leaves formed with 10 to 28 leaflets grouped in pairs on
long petioles and with a terminal leaflet.
The stipules are broad and finely pointed. The inflorescences develop on
axillary tillers with about 80 pinkish red melliferous flowers.
Each flower can produce a kidney-shaped seed contained in a brown pod.
The fruit is either spiny or spineless….
Valuable characteristics such as palatability, drought tolerance, resistant to
weevil attack…
Condensed tannins present in Onobrychis species have been shown to
confer anthelmintic properties, increase protein utilization and prevent
bloating; they may also have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
Positive effects on wildlife and honey production could also be
advantageous in the context of sustainable farming.
(Carbonero et al. 2011)
22. Sainfoin
20g/1000 seed weight
2.5 to 4.5mm long
2 to 3.5mm broad
1.5 to 2mm thick
outbreeding species
mostly pollinated by
insects.
Self incompatible..
23. Pastoraleum (Live Museum/Forage Cafeteria) at IGFRI, RRS Srinagar
Different views of the Pastoraleum/Forage cafetaria
Phalaris aquatica
Festuca rubra
Tall fescue
Sainfoin-an important perennial forage legume
GFY: 45.65 t/ha
Orchard grass-an important perennial forage
grass. GFY: 34.76 t/ha
24. Low-growing legume vine, native to Africa, Asia and Europe
Grows 1 to 2 feet tall and bears small clusters of 1/2-inch pink and
white flowers from early summer to late fall.
Tough, aggressive spreading plant that will crowd out its neighbors
Its deep, tenacious, complex root system and thick, fern-like leaves provide
excellent erosion control.
However, this legume has a very long germination period of about 6 months
and does not create full coverage until two or three years later.
(Gustine et al. 1990)
25. Crown vetch was originally labeled as a poor forage for farm animals but
more recently it has been deemed as a good forage when fed as hay to or
grazed by ruminants.
It consists of 21.7% crude protein and 22.2% crude fibre
In an experiment involving the digestibility of crown vetch in sheep, it was
found that the crude protein is 65.6% and the crude fibre is 46.2%
digestible which is similar, but slightly less than the digestibility of alfalfa
forage.
This fodder species only suits to ruminant animals as it is toxic to non-
ruminants because of the presence of nitroglycosides, which are degraded
in the ruminant digestive tract.
A rainfed crop has the potential to yield 200 quintals/hectare green fodder
(Jackson et al. 1967)
(Moyer and Gustine, 1984)
26. A tufted annual or short-lived perennial grass with feather-like seed heads,
which lack awns, and is commonly found in lawns.
Native of Eurasia and North Africa, but being one of the most commonly
sown grasses for forage, turf, and erosion control, it has been introduced all
over the world.
It grows to 100 cm tall and is erect or spreading
Fibrous roots and rhizomes..
The entire plant is smooth and hairless.
There are numerous long, narrow, stiff leaves near the base of the plant.
Seeds do not have awns (bristles)
(USDA 2002)
27. Red fescue has a wide range of adaptability to soils, but thrive best on
dark rich soils in regions having mild climates.
It does not withstand hot, dry weather or severe winters but will stand
fairly wet soils with reasonably good surface drainage.
A fine, firm seedbed gives the best grassland establishment.
Mulched seedings on graded soil germinate readily during Spring.
A valuable forage and soil stabilization plant
The tetraploid cultivars are used for forage, and diploid cultivars are for
lawns and conservation plantings.
Crude protein of fresh vegetative parts: 19%
(USDA 2002)
(Thompson, 1990)
28. A robust long-lived, comparatively deep rooted, bunchgrass.
The stems are 3-4 feet tall, supporting a nodding panicle that is 4-12 inches
long.
The leaves are broad, flat, smooth and shiny on the underside, with
pronounced ribs on the upper surface.
Adapted to cool and humid climates & moist soils with a pH 5.5-7.
Grows fairly well on soils low in fertility, but it is better adapted to fertile
conditions.
Grows vigorously in spring, summer and early autumn, but has slow winter
growth.
Tall fescue is easy to establish due to its rapid germination and good
seedling vigor.
(USDA 2002)
29. Propagated through seeds and rooted slips
Seeds have awns (bristles)
The best time to sow tall fescue is in autumn and early winter when soil
moisture is becoming adequate.
Approximately 420 000 tall fescue seeds per kilogram.
A seeding rate of 1 kg/ha is equal to approximately 42 seedlings per square
metre.
Seeding rate @10-15 kg/ha
Tall fescue has poor seedling vigour with the roots and crown developing
slowly, so sufficient seed should be sown to promote good ground cover.
Temperate cultivars of tall fescue are highly productive with greatest growth
over spring and early summer (40–60 kg dry matter/ha/day).
Tall fescue has a high nutritive value comparing favorably to perennial
ryegrass, Phalaris and cocksfoot, with higher digestibility.
30. One of the most important forage grasses in the
world owing to its high productivity and disease
resistance under varying climatic conditions.
It is used for pasture, hay and silage.
The main advantage of cocksfoot is greater
forage production during summer compared to
other forage grasses; it stays green after most
prairie grasses have dried.
Strongly tufted, deep-rooted, long-lived perennial
grass reaching a height of 60-150 cm
Optimal growth conditions are annual day
temperatures ranging from 4.3°C to 23.8°C,
annual rainfall from 480 mm to 750 mm, on
normally drained to dry soils, rich soils of heavy
types such as clays and loams, with a pH
ranging from 4.5 to 8.2
(Mir et al. 2018)
31. Due to its high forage quality, i.e. sugar and protein contents, shade
tolerance and persistence it is more suitable for cultivation than many other
cool-season perennial grasses and thus the species D. glomerata is used
for hay or silage production and grazing worldwide.
As a cool-season perennial, cocksfoot may be harvested four times a year
and remains productive during 4 to 8 years.
The green fodder yield of 22.32 t/ha and dry fodder yield of 7.39 t/ha in
cocksfoot was obtained in an apple based hortipastoral system under
temperate conditions of Kashmir.
Cocksfoot is one such crop that
seems a promising option given its
great potential as a cool-season
pasture grass.
(Mir et al. 2018)
38. Dactylis glomerata may either be sown with the seed
rate of 12 kg/ha with 45 cm spacing or transplanted at 30
x 30 cm for better tillering and forage yield.
For higher yield and yield attributing traits in orchard
grass, it should be fertilized with NPK @ 100:60:40 kg/ha
or 75 % of NPK @ 100:60:40 kg/ha plus remaining 25 %
may be supplemented with FYM.
Highest green fodder yield (21.13 t/ha) was recorded in
the treatment combination of H3 x CI 3 (First cut in the 2nd
week of May (50 % flowering) and subsequent cuts at 45
days interval )
39. Hortipasture system
Hortipastoral system involving integration of fruit trees
with pasture (grass and/or legume) could
be adopted with suitable techniques to augment
forage resource availability
(Sharma, 2004; Kumar and Chaubey, 2008; Khan and
Kumar, 2009).
Scope exists in introduction of fodder crops as inter-
crop in orchards (Wani et al., 2014) which has by and
large remained untapped for fodder development.
Under the programme, it is envisaged to
introduce high yielding temperate perennial grasses
and legumes in phased manner to cover the available
orchard land.
40. Apple based Hortipasture at CITH
Layout of Apple based hortipasture Dactylis glomerata in the interspaces of apple orchard
Orchard grass + white clover intercropping
Green fodder yield: 25.65 t/ha
Red clover intercropping
Green fodder yield: 20.50 t/ha
41. IGFRI-CITH Inter-institutional Project Project Code: RS J& K 4.1
“Augmenting Forage Resource Availability through Development of
Hortipastoral systems”
The tall fescue-red clover pasture grown in association with apple has given a consistent
green pasture production of 35-39 t/ha/year, which was found statistically at par with
orchard grass-red clover combination (33-38 t/ha green fodder yield) with a tree density
of 625/ha.
Table: GFY and DFY of grasses and/or legumes in an apple based hortipasture system
GFY (t/ha) DFY (t/ha)
G L Total G L Total
T1 26.82 - 12.54 39.65 7.65 4.90 12.55
T2 24.68 9.56 34.24 7.70 3.85 11.45
T3 26.80 11.56 38.36 6.90 4.54 11.60
T4 23.55 8.42 31.97 6.40 2.20 7.60
T5 35.34 - 35.34 9.90 - 9.90
T6 31.56 - 31.56 9.54 - 9.54
T7 - 17.50 17.50 - 4.90 4.90
T8 - 12.56 12.56 - 3.60 3.60
CD (P=0.05) 4.28 1.40
G1=Tall fescue, G2= Orchard grass, L1= Red Clover and L2= White clover
T1=G1+L1, T2=G1+L2, T3=G2+L1, T4=G2+L2, T5=G1, T6=G2, T7=L1, T8=L2
42. Table. Effect of grass/legume mixtures on nutritive value
Grass and/or legume combination Nutrient value
CP (%) NDF (%) ADF (%)
White clover 23.16±1.02 45.66±0.32 30.55±0.16
Red clover 20.19±0.09 40.63±3.52 29.76±4.05
Dactylis 9.88±1.31 62.98±2.82 35.48±0.86
Tall fescue 10.68±4.05 65.53±2.42 37.76±3.94
Dactylis & Red clover 16.07±1.25 54.04±0.78 35.32±2.13
Tall fescue & Red clover 14.96±3.85 56.64±5.27 36.93±0.15
Dactylis & white clover 15.69±1.88 54.92±1.21 36.73±1.23
Tall fescue & white clover 16.05±1.23 57.03±9.53 37.04±6.55
CD 2.96 7.54 7.10
43. Plate 1. Photographs showing different apple based agroforestry systems at ICAR-CITH experimental farm, India.
White clover + Apple (A), Tall fescue + Apple (B), Orchard grass + Apple (C), Harvesting of forages under cut and
carry system (D), Tall fescue + red clover + Apple (E) and Control plot without grasses/legumes (F).
A B
C D
E F
44. Table : Effect of forage intercrops on growth parameters in apple cv. Red Gold
Treatments
Increment of
plant girth
(cm)
Increment of
plant height
(cm)
Increment
of plant
spread (cm)
Annual
extension
growth (cm)
White clover 1.7 53.4 64.4 70.5
Red clover 1.8 54.6 65.6 71.6
Tall fescue 1.4 42.4 52.2 56.1
Orchard grass 1.5 41.6 52.4 55.4
Tall fescue + white
clover
1.7 47.2 58.6 65.1
Tall fescue + red clover 1.6 47.1 58.4 64.2
Orchard grass + white
clover
1.7 46.2 58.5 65.8
Orchard grass + red
clover
1.7 47.5 59.2 66.1
Control 1.3 43.5 53.6 63.0
CD(P≤0.05) 0.24 6.4 7.1 6.2
45. Table: Effect of forage intercrops on yield characters in apple cv. Red Gold
Treatments
Fruit Yield
(Kg/tree)
Trunk girth
(cm)
Trunk cross-
sectional
area (cm2)
Yield
efficiency
(kg/cm2)
White clover 36.85 39.90 131.75 0.279
Red clover 37.45 41.00 133.84 0.280
Tall fescue 27.45 37.10 112.48 0.243
Orchard grass 28.75 36.70 113.24 0.248
Tall fescue + white cloer 33.16 39.70 125.48 0.272
Tall fescue + red clover 32.62 38.80 119.86 0.272
Orchard grass + white clover 32.65 39.10 121.72 0.268
Orchard grass + red clover
32.45 38.90 120.48 0.269
Control 27.40 37.40 111.37 0.246
CD(P≤0.05) 7.2 2.4 6.75 0.012
46. Almond based hortipasture at RRS IGFRI
Planting of almond saplings Orchard grass + Almond
Green Fodder Yield: 28.47 t/ha
Phalaris hybrid + almond
Green Fodder Yield: 31.54 t/ha
Tall fescue + Almond
Green Fodder Yield: 29.57 t/ha
47. It combines trees with forage (pasture or hay)
and livestock production.
Established by adding trees to existing pasture,
or by thinning an existing forest stand and adding (or
improving) a forage component.
Trees are managed for high-value sawlogs,
provide shelter for livestock, protecting against
temperature stresses.
Forage and livestock provide short-term income
while sawlogs are being grown, providing
diversified economic returns.
Silvipasture system
49. Acacia based silvipasture Ficus based silvipasture
Hardwickia based silvipasture
Some examples of Silvipasture systems
50. Dry matter production and carrying capacity of improved
grassland and silvi-pastoral system
Treatments
Dry matter
(t ha-1)
Carrying capacity
Animal unit ha-1
annum -1
Crude protein
(%)
Control 06.90 2.70 3.05
Setaria 15.10 6.60 6.27
Setaria + Siratro 15.50 6.10 6.39
Setaria + Siratro +
Leucaena
17.10 7.20 6.59
Setaria + Siratro +
Robinia
18.40 7.40 7.04
51. A degraded pasture
An improved pasture
Deterioration of natural pastures
Shrinkage of village pastures previously
ear-marked for grazing of livestock
locally known as “Gass charai”
Conflicts as they move through
cultivated fields/ roads/ protected/
reserved forests and National
Parks/wildlife sanctuaries.
There is a lack of any specific national
or regional policy for the sustainable
development of pastures and pastoral
communities
Lack of large scale dissemination of
improved pasture development
technology.
Grasslands
52. 52
•Grazing management and pasture rehabilitation
•Removal of non-palatable weeds
•Studying the floristics and carrying capacity of
these grasslands
•Introduction of high yielding grasses/legumes
using suitable interventions
•Management of soil erosion
•Multiplication and resowing of endemic grasses
and legumes.
•Stakeholder participation and institutional
support
Interventions
Sainfoin
Coronilla varia
Lotus corniculatus
55. Alternative fodder resources:
Alternative source of fodder
species
like,
beetroot,
turnip,
vetch,
pea and potato haulms,
azolla etc.
Hydroponic Fodder Cultivation
Spineless cactus
56. Conclusions
Strong possibilities to enhance the production & availability of green
fodder through various technological interventions from the existing land
under fodder cultivation & pastures.
Reclamation of degraded grazing and pasture lands…
To meet the growing nutrient requirement of dairy animals in an
economic way, there is urgent need to focus on green fodder production
enhancement programme.
-enhancing seed replacement rate of quality seed of high
yielding varieties
Modern breeding programmes have not been a priority, leading to a lack
of genetic knowledge in comparison to extensively used forage
legumes.
Strategies to increase forage production per unit area & encouraging
forage production in mixed farming systems.
Putting to good use of waste lands denuded, degraded marginal and
sub marginal lands for the development of pastures and agro forestry
systems.
Strategies for efficient utilization of available resources like crop
57. The cultivation of underutilized annual/perennial grasses and legumes that can
prove to be remunerative for sustainable livestock sector include Onobrychis
viciifolia, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca arundinacea, Phalaris setaria,, Phleum
pratense, Bromus unioloides, Festuca rubra, Lolium perenne, Trifolium repens,
Trifolium pratense, etc.
However, overgrazing has resulted in a depleted vegetation cover and most of
the pastures are predominantly covered with noxious weeds like Stipa,
Sambucus, Aconitum, Cincifuga, Adonis, Sibbaldia etc.
Scientifically organized grassland restoration
Grazing management: continuous grazing, deferred grazing, rotational grazing
and deferred rotational grazing
Stakeholder participation and institutional support
Feed and fodder availability can be increased by utilizing improved varieties,
development of Common Property Resources (CPRs) and barren lands and
better knowhow regarding fodder production and their preservation.
Germplasm conservation and management
Conclusion
