fodder crops

The term forages means the plants used for feeding domestic animals.
This includes both fodder plants and pasture plants.
FODDERS: Plants which are cultivated as forage crops and they are cut and fed to animals in the stalls.
(e.g..Guinea grass,Fodder maize)
PASTURES: Grasses and legumes were grown in pasture lands where the animals are led to graze them.(e.g..Cenchrus, marvel grass, spear grass, cowpea.

Forages can be broadly classified in the two
Groups …
CRASSES:
Annual: maize,sorghum,cumbu
Perennial: guinea grass B.N.hybrids
LEGUMES:
Annual: cowpea,cluster bean,desmodium
Perennial:lucerne,desmanthes

GUNIA GRASS :(Panicum maximum)
Place of origin:Africa
DISTRUBUTION:
WestIndies,Jamaica,India(Tamilnadu,Karnataka,Andhra pradesh,Maharashtra,Gujarat).
Most popular fodder grass under irrigated
condition.It appears to have been cultivated in
West Indies and Jamaica before its introduction
to India.

Highly palatable grass,with high dry matter content (15%-20%),free from all toxic principles.
Protein 6-8 percent, with well balanced calcium and phosphorus.
Good soil binder.
Harvest can be done once in 30-40 days.
Can be grazed,cut and fed used for hay silage
making.Ideal for sewage forming.

NAPIER GRASS
Pennisetum purpureum(elephant grass)
Native of Zimbabwe in South Africa
It grows up to four meters with thick growth which gives its name “elephant grass”.
It is said to have been Introduced to india by about 1915 in Bombay.
Perennial grass,protien6-8%,good for hay making,comes up well in sewage water.

CUMBU NAPIER HYBRID
(Bajra x Napier)-BN hybrid
(Napier x Bajra)- NB hybrid
Cumbu Napier hybrid was the first hybrid,which
was produced at Coimbatore followed by Pusa
Gaint Napier at New Delhi further improved types
In other states.
Propagated by root slips or stem cutting are very
vigorous in their growth and highly adaptable.
High yielders, nutritious, palatable, succulent,
juicy,Less fibrous fodder. Protien 8-10%.

Rich in protien,can be fed to animals in small
quantity(2 to 5 kg/day depending on body weight).
Rich in vitamins.Easily digestable and highly
palatable.Combines well with other grasses in
mixed or intercropping conditions so a balanced
diet is made.

LUCERNE
Medicago sativa(kudirai masal)
Its called as ‘queen of forage crops’.
Although lucerne has been considered a plant to Western Asia,there is no evidence of its having been grown in India for more than a hundered and fifty years.
It entered India from the north west.It gives high yields of excellent feed for livestock and at the same time builds up soil fertility.

CONTI…….
Can be grown for 2-3 yrs in the same field.
Harvest can be taken once in 30 days.
Rich in protien (20%).So seedling limited to 2-3 kg/day legume has to be cut and fed at the time of flowering when it will have high protien.
Its suitable for hay making.
Rich in calcium,phosphorus and high carotene and vit.
Lucerne meal used in cattle and poultry feed .

Clitoria ternatea-sangu pushpam. Suited to dry land
pastures,highly self sown crop,grows well with
cenchrus seeds and roots have medicinal value,
Protien 16-18%.

Highly palatable,nutrition,good for hay making,can
be grown in dry lands mixed with sorghum,cumbu
or maize.

fodder crops

by satheesh hendhino

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