Plant Biology Commons^™

Herbage Yield, Quality And Nutrients Composition Of Bajra Napier (Bn) Hybrid Grass Varieties Under Central Gujarat Condition, Digvijay Singh, A. K. Garg

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Among various perennial grasses, BN hybrid grass (Pennisetum glaucum x Pennisetum purpureum) is most popular in irrigated areas of India including Gujarat state due to several factors like wide spread agro-climatic adaptability, high yield potential, nutritional quality, low cost of cultivation, insect-pest-disease resistances, tolerance to grazing/damages by wild animals, vegetative propagation and high response towards manure, fertilizer and irrigations. In Central Gujarat region, farmers are mainly cultivating CO 3 and APBN 1 varieties, which have been supplied to them by agriculture institutes. These two popular varieties were considered as local checks (LC) in trial. Three very old varieties …

Effect Of Sugar Promoters On Biomass Yield And Sugar Content Of Napier Bajra Hybrids, Rajiv K. Agrawal, G. Prabhu, K. K. Singh, Sultan Singh, M. M. Das, Satendra Kumar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In India deficiency of green fodder is estimated to the tune of 35.7% and this difference is likely to increase in coming period due to possible decrease in acreage under fodder crops as the cultivated land is being utilized for urbanization and other industrial uses. In tropical countries like India, crop residues from cultivated crops and grasses (mainly monsoon grasses) constitute the basal diet of livestock. But the nutritive value of these grasses is low (protein and digestibility) than the fodder crops and even in green stage is able only to meet the maintenance requirement of animals. A conservative estimate …

Semi-Mechanized Harvesting Solutions For Cultivated Fodder Crops, Chandra Shekhar Sahay, P. K. Pathak, B. Narsimlu, C. R. Mehta

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In case of harvesting and threshing, the level of mechanization in India is 60-70 per cent for wheat and rice and less than five per cent for other crops (Mehta et al., 2014) that include fodder also. Herrmann et al.(2011) established that overall area capacities of machine decreased the by 4-24 per cent on taking finer chopping length of 4-6 mm compared to common chopping length of 8-10 mm in the ensiling chain of maize - establishing that finer work in ensiling commands less capacities and higher input costs. Since there is a strong correlation between effective field …

Introduction Of Grass Pea As A Suitable Summer Crop After Barley Harvesting In The Semi-Arid Areas, Khoshnood, Mahmoud Pooryousef, Shiv Kumar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage production during summer season is a big challenge in the semi-arid dry areas. Forage crops become more important with increasing demand for meat and milk in the developing countries (Delgado, 2003). There are suitable opportunities to increase forage production without any decrease in cultivated areas under major cereal crops. Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) and other neglected crops offer viable options for forage production. Forage crops cannot be recommended for cultivation at the expense of cereal crops which are defined as strategic crops for food security in most countries including Iran (Anonymous, 2010). Therefore, it is necessary to …

Influence Of Cutting Interval On Yield And Quality Of Purple Guinea Grass (Panicum Maximum Td58) Under Irrigation, Witthaya Sumamal, Pornchai Lowilai

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Most of dairy farmers in the northeast of Thailand are smallholders. They have limited pasture area led to lack of good quality roughage throughout the year, especially during the dry season. Farmers usually fed their cattle with agricultural by products, which have low quality and supplemented with commercial concentrate feed. It leads to high milk production cost and more problems of cattle performance. It is necessary to develop and improve the feed quality and quantity, especially pasture, the cheapest and major source of cattle feed. Due to the limited pasture area, intensive pasture system is recommended. They need a suitable …

Influence Of Foliar Sprays Of Thiourea And Sulfuric Acid Against Frost Injury In Berseem, Balwinder Kumar, R. S. Sarlach

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is an important winter season fodder crop which occupies 2 million ha area in India (Kumar et al., 2013). Berseem is generally grown as pure stands or in mixture with annual grass species for feeding to the livestock. During severe winter month periods from December to February, berseem growth is slow due to low minimum air temperature or cold wave or frost occurrence which affects fodder availability to the livestock. To increase growth of berseem either in pure stand or in mixture, farmers generally use excessive urea which not only affects nodule development in …

Preliminary Trial To Establish Artificial Grassland In Tibet, China, Guowen Cui, Bing Li, Xiu-Jie Yin, Ming-Jun Wang, Wen-Hua He, Sheng-Yong Liu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Tibet Autonomous Region with an average altitude of more than 4,000 m above sea level, altogether cover an area of 1.22 million km², equivalent to one-eight of the total area of China. High mountains along with forests and rivers in Tibet consist of an important ecological barrier for protecting parts of inland ecosystems. Tibet is also one of the five major pastoral areas in China. The grassland in Tibet covers 0.83 million km², but the grass is sparse and low, and with low yield in this area. There are nearly 2.8 million people in this region, …

Evaluation Of Cactus As Alternate Fodder Resource In Semi Arid Region Of India, Sunil Kumar, T. Kiran Kumar, A. K. Mishra, Shahid Ahmed, P. K. Ghosh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica (L) Mill) is spineless and offers several benefits to both man and livestock. It is a succulent, xerophytic, spiny or spineless plant of multiple uses (Felker et al., 1997). Cactus is a drought resilient feed, introducing cactus as alternate livestock feed in dryland ecosystems fulfill the deficiency of feed to livestock. Cactus requires little moisture which used to gets from the rainy season to produce large quantities of forage. It has a higher carrying capacity than any other drought tolerant fodder in arid and semi-arid areas. It remains green and succulent during drought thus …

Effect Of Cutting Intervals On Yield And Nutritive Value Of Stylosanthes Seabrana, Nandini Nimbkar, Sharad Choudhari, Ketaki Kanbargi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In India natural pastures do not meet the nutritional needs of grazing ruminants, and supplementary feeding of crop residues and concentrates is necessary for profitable animal production (Phaikaew et al., 2004). Stylo has a long history of research and development in India and has been used in many production systems including as a fodder crop, in ley farming and intercropping in agroforestry and silvipasture and for wasteland development and soil conservation (Ramesh et al., 1997).

Recent developments in the commercial utilization of stylo as a fodder crop have mostly been in the peninsular Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, …

Agronomic And Nutritional Characteristics Of Selected Brachiaria Hybrids And Varieties Harvested At Three Stages Of Growth, Mupenzi Mutimura, Cyprian Ebong, Idupulapati M. Rao, Ignatius V. Nsahlai

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Shortage of quality feed is a persistent livestock productivity constraint and it is accentuated by climate variability and increased unpredictability of precipitation in many areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. Improved Brachiaria genotypes are some of the interventions that can improve feed security and contribute to the global climate change mitigation efforts.

Integrated Farming Systems In The Frame Work Of Bio-Economic Modelling For Sustainable Development Of Small And Marginal Farmers Under Changing Climatic Scenario, U. K. Behera

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In order to meet the multiple objectives of poverty reduction, food security, competitiveness and sustainability several researchers have recommended to adopt integrated farming systems (IFS). IFS is an approach in which different landbased enterprises are integrated within the bio-physical and socio-economic situations taking farmers preference and goal in to consideration. This is a multi-disciplinary approach and very effective for solving the problems of small and marginal farmers (Gangwar, 1993). Under the gradual shrinking of land holding in India and other developing countries, it is necessary to go for IFS to make farming more profitable and sustainable. In agricultural research and …

Enhancing Productivity Of Guinea Grass Variety Jhgg-08-1 Through Agro-Techniques In Southern Dry Zone Of Karnataka, B. G. Shekara, H. C. Lohithaswa, M. R. Krishnappa, N. M. Chikkarugi, N. Manasa

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) is a major pan tropical grass used throughout the tropics for pasture, cut-and-carry, silage and hay. It is a fast growing and leafy grass, which is palatable to livestock with a good nutritional value. However, it is generally recommended to supplement it with sources of protein in order to meet nutritional requirements or improve animal performance. It grows well on a wide variety of well drained soils of good fertility and it is a good vegetative barrier. It can survive quick moving fires which does not harm the underground roots and drought because of …

Performance Of Guinea Grass Varieties In North Konkan Zone Of Maharashtra, A. V. Dahipahle, S. B. Bhagat, D. B. Shinde, U. V. Mahadkar, S. B. Gangawane

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) is native to Africa but this grass was introduced to almost all tropical countries as a source of animal forage. It grows well on a wide variety of well drained soils of good fertility and it is suitable to stop soil erosion. It can survive quick moving fires which does not harm the underground roots and drought because of the deep, dense and fibrous root system. Guinea grass is a colonizer of disturbed sites, including roadsides, and particularly untended areas. This robust grass forms clumps and may foster soil erosion in invaded areas. Guinea …

Defoliation Impact On The Above And Belowground Productivity Of Festuca Arundinaceae Schreb, Hennie A. Snyman, P. J. Malan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The main objective of pasture management is to maximize plant productivity and ensure sustainable animal performance, without inducing pasture deterioration. Many researchers indicated that plant survival and sustainable production is a function of seedbed preparation, irrigation and defoliation, with defoliation having the largest impact on plant persistence (Fulkerson and Donaghy, 2001). The net effect of defoliation (degree of intensity and frequency) can therefore either be beneficial or detrimental to survival and productivity of a pasture. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of different intensities and frequencies of defoliation on above- and belowground phytomass production of the …

Tillage Management Strategy In Fodder-Food Cropping System For Sustainable Production, A, K. Dixit, Rajiv K. Agrawal, S. K. Das, C. S. Sahai, A. K. Rai

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The per capita availability of land is consistently decreasing, while food and fodder demand is increasing. Indiscriminate and injudicious use of farm inputs for achieving potential yield of crops has not only enhanced the cost of cultivation but also threatened the environment and sustainability of the system. Combination of these factors and their interface are serious threats to agriculture and mankind. In rainfed condition of central India, fodder sorghum+cowpea –wheat is potential cropping system among farmers maintaining 2-4 livestock’s. The conventional tillage system which inverts and mixes the soil, introduces large amounts of oxygen into the soil and thus stimulates …

Performance Of Dual Purpose Pearl Millet Genotypes As Influenced By Cutting Management And Nitrogen Levels, B. G. Shekara, M. R. Krishnappa, H. C. Lohithaswa, N. M. Chikkarugi, N. Manasa

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) is important minor millets cultivated both for food and fodder. The dual purpose nature of pearl millet has recently identified due to its profused tillering, repeated harvesting and absence of anti nutritional factor. In fodder crops, the production potential can be manipulated by fertilizer management and time of harvest. In this regard, peal millet no exception, scientific study on cutting and nitrogen management on green fodder yield, quality and grain yield is meagre. Therefore, the present investigation was under taken to study the influence of cutting management and nitrogen levels on green forage and …

Performance Evaluation Of Kharif And Rabi Fodder Sorghum In Namsai District Of Arunachal Pradesh, Santosh Kumar, B. K. D. Borah, D. Borah, D. Sasmal

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Deficiency of feed and fodder accounts for half of the total loss in dairy farming therefore, forages are called as backbone of livestock industry. The scarcity of green forages and grazing resources in the country has made the livestock to suffer continuously with malnutrition resulting in their production potentiality at sub-optimum level as compared to many developed nations (Anonymous, 2012). Arunachal Pradesh is well known for its ever green vegetation and biodiversity under hilly ecosystem. Though, it is situated at remotest part of country but possess huge scope of livestock farming. Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh is a bordering district …

Forage Production Potential And Nitrate Nitrogen In Napier Bajra Hybrid As Influenced By Nitrogen Dose Under Shaded And Un-Shaded Environments, U. S. Tiwana, Sukhpreet Singh, Meenakshi Goyal, P. K. Kingra, Awtar Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Dairy farming is an important and prevalent subsidiary occupation along with agriculture in the state of Punjab. But because of declining land holding, the pressure on land is so high that there is little scope of expanding the area under forage crops. Crop intensification either in space (intercropping) or in time (sequential cropping) or both is the feasible option left to the farmers for enhancing the fodder production. The green fodder is deficit by about 25% in the state and there is around 65,000 ha area under Agroforestry. There is a need to explore possibility of growing fodder crops under …

Relationship Between Field Measurements In Three Brachiaria Species With Leaf Area Index And Light Interception By Indirect Methods, Janerson J. Coêlho, Alexandre C. L. De Mello, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., Erick R. Da Silva Santos, Márcio V. Da Cunha, Mércia V. F. Dos Santos, Mario De Andrade Lira

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Brachiaria species play a strategic role in ruminant production systems in Brazil, covering an estimated pasture area of approximately 90 million hectares (Karia et al., 2006), however, these pastures are subject to different degrees of degradation due to inadequate management. In pasture management, field measurements such as canopy height, for example, are used by managers as a tool to establish parameters for the optimal point to cut the forage and for the post-grazing residue, in order to maximize production by harvesting at maximum of herbage mass accumulation, and to avoid problems associated to overgrazing, by setting ideal post-grazing height …

Effect Of Fertilization Level And Cutting Pattern On Species Diversity Of Meadow Stand, Pavel Knot, Josef Raus, Michal Kvasnovský, Jiri Skladanka, Frantisek Hrabe

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The distribution of grasslands and their floristic composition is related to the climate at the largest scale. Particular grassland is affected by bedrock, soil, water regime, altitude, nutrient status, local climate, disturbance etc (Gibson, 2009). Grasslands provide not only production functions but also large scale of ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, sequestration of carbon dioxide, prevention of soil loss and many others. Ability of grasslands to afford both production and ecosystem functions depends among others on the floristic composition (Chytry, 2007). Semi-natural permanent meadows, as a result of the concurrence of many factors, represent a great reservoir of biodiversity. …

Increasing Feed Conversion Efficiency In Automatic Milking Systems: The Impact Of Grain-Based Concentrate Allocation And Kikuyu (Pennisetum Clandestinum) Pasture State On Milk Production, Ravneet Kaur, Cameron E. F. Clark, Ajantha Horadagoda, Helen Golder, Sergio C. Garcia, Kendra L. Kerrisk, Mohammed R. Islam

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Pasture is typically offered to dairy cows in three allocations in pasture-based automatic milking systems (AMS). However, due to voluntary cow movement and distribution of milkings, some dairy cows access fresh pasture and other cows access depleted (stale) pasture. The first cows moving to an allocation of fresh pasture are offered ad-libitum, high quality pasture as opposed to cows arriving to the same allocation during the middle or end of the day accessing poorer quality, high fibre (neutral detergent fibre, NDF) pasture. In addition, grain-based concentrate (GBC) is allocated independently to this pasture state. The ability to increase feed …

Increasing Feed Conversion Efficiency In Automatic Milking Systems: The Impact Of Grain-Based Concentrate Allocation And Kikuyu (Pennisetum Clandestinum) Pasture State On Kikuyu Pasture Digestibility, Cameron E. F. Clark, Mohammed R. Islam, Ajantha Horadagoda, Ravneet Kaur, Helen Golder, Sergio C. Garcia, Kendra L. Kerrisk

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Automatic milking system (AMS) farms, rely upon voluntary cow traffic (the voluntary movement of cattle around a farm) for milk harvesting and feed consumption. Dairy cows on a pasture-based AMS farm typically move from depleted to fresh allocations of pasture in small groups, or individually, at differing times. The first cows moving to an allocation of fresh pasture get access to rapidly fermentable, ad libitum, high quality pasture in contrast to those cows accessing the same allocation towards the end of the access period. At the same time, grain-based concentrate (GBC) is allocated independent of the pasture state that …

The Effect Of Planting Date On The Dry Matter Production Of Italian And Westerwolds Ryegrass In The Southern Cape Of South Africa, Philip R. Botha, Janke Van Der Colf, Lethukuthula B. Zulu, Pieter A. Swanepoel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Perennial pasture species such as lucerne (Medicago sativa), kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and perennial clovers (Trifolium spp.) make an important contribution to the fodder flow programmes for dairy production in the southern Cape. One of the main challenges when these species make up the primary pasture base within a pasture system is the mutually low growth rates during winter (Van Heerden et al., 1989; Swanepoel et al., 2014). In order to bridge pasture shortages during the critical winter months, producers establish annual Italian (Lolium multiflorum var. italicum …

The Production Potential Of Festuca Spp., Lolium Spp. And Festulolium Hybrids In The Southern Cape Of South Africa, Janke Van Der Colf, Philip R. Botha

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Researchers are continuously searching for species that can improve the productivity and sustainability of pasture systems under adverse environmental conditions such as drought and extreme temperatures. Plant breeders have bred hybrids between ryegrass (Lolium spp.) and Fescue (Festuca spp.) in an attempt to combine the high forage quality of the former with the stress tolerance of the latter (Kopecky et al., 2008; Akgun et al., 2008). The resultant hybrids are commonly referred to as Festulolium spp. These species include Festulolium pabulare which is a cross between Tall Fescue (F. arundinacea) and Italian ryegrass …

Fodder Yield, Nutrient Uptake And Quality Of Oats (Avena Sativa L.) As Influenced By Different Agronomic Practices, Intikhab Aalum Jehangir, Mushtaq Ahmad, S. M. Razvi, H. U. Khan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The green fodder requirement and availability in India does not match and leaves a shortfall of about 63%. There is a little possibility of any tangible increase in fodder area due to competition from other economically competitive agricultural crops (Aulakh et al., 2012). Therefore, there is urgent need to maximize the tonnage and quality of fodder within the existing farming systems. Multicut nature of the crop ensures continuous supply of fodder. Kashmir valley possesses temperate type of climate, with snowfall and harsh conditions in the winter. Behaviour of crop under these conditions is entirely different from rest of country, …

Yield And Quality Of Perennial Forage Crops In Unconventional Lands, Champak Kumar Kundu, Pintoo Bandopadhyay, Himangshu Das

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock rearing is an integral part of rural India. Livestock productivity in India is far below the desired level due to shortage in availability of green fodder for feeding the animals. The health and productivity of livestock mainly depends upon the availability of quality feed and fodders in requisite amount. The need for growing forage crops in unconventional lands is already been in discussion. In the lower Gangetic plains there farmers seldom go for fodder crops and only marginal lands are devoted for such crops. Low lying situations, marshy lands are quite frequent in the delta which may house fodders …

Enhancement In Milk Production Through Improved Production Technique Of Green Fodder, Rajiv Kumar Singh, B. S. Kirar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Unavailability of sufficient quantity of fodder is identified as one of the major constraints in achieving desired level of livestock productivity. The available fodder can meet the demand of only 47% of total livestock population. Since green fodder cultivation is not under farmers practice in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh, maximum animals due to unavailability of sufficient quantity of green fodder, fight to prevent their life. Due to lack of knowledge about improved variety of berseem and their suitable package and practices, the farmers not capable to produce the quantity required per day basis. In view of this, KVK Panna …

Sustainable Quality Fodder Production Under Temperate Mountain Agriculture In Kashmir, Mushtaq Ahmad, Gul-Zaffar, Intikhab Aalum Jehangir, S. M. Razvi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Inadequate supply of quality feed and fodder is the primary cause of lower productivity of milch animals in India. Oats (Avena sativa L.) is an important fodder crop in J&K. Jammu and Kashmir state the fodder requirement is about 4.31 million tonnes against the available 3.26 million tonnes (Anonymous, 2008). Kashmir valley experiences a long lean period of winter, resulting in scarcity of green and quality fodder which results in drastic decrease in milk production. Therefore, to meet the need of animal products, there is a great importance of fodder cultivation to compensate fodder scarcity during lean period ( …

Determination Of Cutting Date And Interval On Native Grass Management Of Agricultural Waterways In South Korea, Jong-Duk Kim, Hyo-Won Won Lee, Joung-Kyong Lee, Jong-Kwan Kim, Ki-Hwan Ko

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Agricultural waterways provide a buffer zone between crop fields and adjacent rivers or streams. Waterways are important resource for agriculture water management, water quality and biodiversity conservation. The total linear distance of waterway in Korea is about 180,000 km, and about 40% are concrete and about 60% are grassed waterways. At present, the percentage of concrete waterways is increasing because of their water management efficiency. Some argue that continued expansion of concrete waterways is not sustainable because it leads to potential-degradation of the earth's environment. This concern has led to renewed efforts to use grassed waterways as an alternative to …

Forage Options For Dairy Cows, Mohammed R. Islam, Sergio C. Garcia

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

To remain competitive internationally, the Australian dairy industry will need to increase milk production per unit of land by producing and utilising more from home-grown feed. In the context of decreasing land availability but increasing feed cost per unit of land, increasing production and utilisation of home-grown feed is crucial to increase milk production in pasture-based dairy farms (Fariña et al., 2011). Pure pasture-based systems can achieve a maximum of ~20 t dry matter (DM)/ha/yr, although in practice top commercial farmers hardly exceed 15-16 t DM/ha. A strategy to increase productivity of forages is to select adequate combinations of …