Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Mitigating Policy Measures To Increase Fodder Availabilty In Natural Calamities Situations, Om Singh

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Though the availability of feed and fodder has improved in the last decade, still there exists a substantial gap between demand and availability of fodder in the country, particularly during the lean periods and at the time of natural calamities including droughts and or flood situations. Availability of adequate quantity of feed and fodder for livestock is essential for improving livestock productivity. Under the Rasthriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), the States have sufficient funds and autonomy to undertake development of feed and fodder besides other agricultural and allied activities. There is a need to disseminate the benefits of using high …

Cultivating The Next Generation Of Pasture Scientists In Australia, Sarita Jane Bennett

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Current students coming through agricultural faculties in Australian universities have grown up in an era of low wool and meat prices, the introduction and acceptance of no-till farming as the norm and a general decrease in mixed farming landscapes in favour of continuous cropping. Since the collapse of the wool reserve price scheme in 1991, wool prices declined and income on wool producing farms followed suit. R & D during this period has also declined from 5-4% agricultural GDP in 1986 to only 3% in 2005 and has favoured research related to cropping rather than that related to pastures and …

Impact Of Development Projects On Grazing Resources Of Odisha, Binayak Dash, Bijoy Kumar Sahoo

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Odisha, a state of modern India lies in the sub-tropical belt in eastern part of the country. It is the 10th largest state of India in terms of geographical area (15.57 million hectares). Out of the total geographical area, 37.33% constitute forest land and 39.69% cultivated land. These 6.180 million hectares of cultivated land is the source of food of almost 41.9 million human beings (Census, 2011) and 20.72 million livestock (Livestock Census 2012) of the state. Thus there is scarcity of land in the state. Majority of the farmers in the state are marginal and small (86.16%) owning less …

Constraints Faced By Farmers In Fodder Production & Livestock Management In Western U.P., India, Manju Suman, Ashok Kumar, Vikash Kumar

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The agrarian economy of the region is fully dependent on agriculture and related activities as clearly revealed by the utilization of land resource in the region. Fodder crop plays vital role in rearing of livestock. Fodder crops are mainly cultivated in kharif ( 87%) followed by rabi (90%) and jayad (45%). India is the largest producer of milk the world. Milk production has been growing at an average rate of 3.45% annum. The per capita availability of milk was around 296 gram per day in 2012-13. India covers about one fifth of livestock population of the world, but the milk …

Factors Affecting Rangeland Utilization By Ranchers In The Golestan Rangelands, Iran, Reza Tamartash, Mohammadreza Tatian, Maedeh Yousefian, Fatemeh Montazeri, Hamid Mostafalou

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In Iran, rangelands produce most of the forage resources for livestock. There are various types of traditional grazing systems for the utilization of rangelands, including the consultative, collective and operational multiplayer systems. In the consultative type, certain people are selected by the ranchers and they determine the utilization method and manage grazing. In the collective system, all ranchers use rangeland in common. In the operational multiplayer system, rangelands are used in common but the ranchers share rangelands by rancher-rancher negotiation. This research was undertaken to investigate the human factors as rancher's effect on rangeland utilization in different systems above mentioned.

Albizia Procera Based Silvipastoral System: An Ideal Alternate Land Use System For Sustainable Forage Production In Semi-Arid Region, Inder Dev, S. K. Dhyani, K. B. Sridhar, Asha Ram, D. R. Palsaniya, R. K. Tewari, Ramesh Singh, Rupali Tiwwari, Madhulika Srivastava, Mahendra Singh, A. R. Uthappa, P. Rai

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

India’s economy is agro-based and about 69% of the total population depends on it for their livelihood (GoI, 2013). Livestock is the integral component of Indian agriculture since time immemorial. Its contribution to national economy through milk, meat, wool as well as farmyard manure is enormous. India has the largest number of livestock, representing over 17% of the world. Among four important species of livestock, cattle represent over 43% of the population followed by buffaloes (19%), goats (26%) and sheep (10%). The share of livestock reared is highest in marginal followed by small and semi-medium land holders implying that marginal …

Utilisation Of Conserved Forage To Improve Livestock Production On Smallholder Farms In Asia And Africa, Marsetyo, Muhammad Shoaib Tufail, Samuel Mbuku, Mupenzi Mutimura, Xusheng Guo, John Piltz

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Ruminant livestock are essential to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in many developing countries. Livestock production on these farms is characterised by low milk production, low live weight gain and poor reproductive performance because of poor nutrition. Access to high quality forage has been identified as key to improving livestock health and productivity. Conservation of surplus forage as hay or silage provides the opportunity to ensure livestock have access to high quality forage year-round. This paper reports on forage conservation in select countries in Asia and Africa.

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 (1997-2023)

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 …

Local Use And Knowledge Validation Of Fodder Trees And Shrubs Resources Browsed By Livestock In Manipur (India), R. Joseph Koireng, Ansarul Haq, Kh. Priya Devi

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

North Eastern states of India particularly in Manipur livestock rearing were being considered as one of the important homestead activities in the farm household. In the rural household economy, livestock is considered as an inseparable component in the whole farm business, as the production of milk and meat as well as manure, draught and transportation depends on it. It provides nutritional security to farm family and stabilizes farm income too.

As a major source of animal feeds in Manipur, fodder trees and shrubs are highly valued by farmers. They have deep root systems enabling the extraction of water and nutrients …

Salt-Tolerant Forages For Irrigated Saline Land In Central Iraq, Iman S. Salman, Edward G. Barrett-Lennard, Kareem Kadhim, Shoaib Ismail, Hayley C. Norman

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Salinity is a major problem in the irrigated zones of central and southern Iraq. We investigated biomass production from five salt-tolerant forage species, represented by 15 introduced accessions and 3 local accessions, during two successive summer growing seasons. Species included pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), sorghum (Sorghum bicolour), guar (Cluster bean; Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and sesbania (Sesbania aculeata and S. sesban). The research site was located in the Al-Dujaila irrigation project area in Wasit. The soil had a silty clay texture with moderate salinity (ECe 10-20 dS/m). The site was …

Traditional Wisdom For Sustainable Agri And Livestock Production: An Opportunity For Better Animal, Human And Environment Health, M. J. Saxena, Anup Kalra

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Animal production is poised to make a generous leap in the years to come because of the multiplicity of the related events that are taking place around the globe. Increased demand of the livestock products, ease of market accessibility, and opportunity of global trade, increased cash flow in urban and rural societies, application of science and application of new technologies in production, feeding & processing may be some of the key factors responsible for the anticipated increase in livestock production. However, at the same time it is high time that we address some areas of quality assurance of feed & …

Mineral Status Of Livestock, Soil, Feeds And Fodders In Ajmer District Of Rajasthan, Sheela Choudhary, Ramkesh Meena, Sunil Dutt Choudhary, Poonam Yadav

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

A large number of Indian livestock suffer from deficiencies or imbalances in minerals because they are mainly maintained on crop residue based rations and grazing without access to mineral supplement (Mc Dowell et al., 1993). Deficiency or imbalance of single or multiple minerals results in enzymatic dysfunction and hormonal imbalance associated with fertility of animals (Maurice, 2003). In India where dietary concentration of fodder fed to the animals are unknown or highly variable due to availability, season, location, forage, species and animal potential (Sharma et al., 2003), it is important to determine plasma mineral concentrations in animal region wise, …

Strategies On Poisonous Plants Problem In China, Xinlei Gao, Mengli Zhao, Jing Wang, Bin Han, Walter D. Willms

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Poisonous plants are widely distributed on large areas of native grasslands of China, causing livestock poisoning and grassland degradation, which severely impacts the development of animal husbandry. Of the almost 300 poisonous species that are responsible for livestock losses in China, locoweed, drunken horse grass and Langdu cause the greatest impact. Many strategies have been developed to minimise the impact of poisonous plants including the treatment of livestock that have been poisoned, controlling poisonous plants and managing livestock grazing. Both physical and chemical traditional methods are still used to eliminate poisonous plants while biological control using specific insects may eventually …

Evaluation Of Macro And Micro Mineral Concentration Of Some Common Forages Of Dausa District Of Rajasthan, Sheela Choudhary

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The Rajasthan state is blessed with huge livestock population but the fodder availability is limited in this region. To deal with scarcity the locally available tree leaves and forages are provided to the livestock. Fodder tree/shrub legumes have the potential for alleviating some of the feed shortages and nutritional deficiencies experienced in the dry season on small holder farms. Tree leaves are rich in protein, carotene and minerals and contribute a sizable amount of edible biomass and has been considered as a potential source of sustenance since ages for raising livestock, particularly sheep and goat which are principle grazing animals. …

Assessment Of Grasslands And Livestock Production In Kangra Valley Of Himachal Pradesh, S. Radotra, Inder Dev, A. Kanan, Birbal Singh

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In Himachal Pradesh 89.96 percent as per 2011 census of population lives in rural areas. The mainstay of the people of Himachal Pradesh is agriculture and has an important place in the economy of the State. Agricultural census shows that 87.95 percent of the total holdings are of small and marginal. Rearing of livestock is an integral component of rural economy (Anonymous, 2014). Livestock depend to a certain extent on fodder and grass grown on common property resources (CPR) as well as on crops and residues. Animal production is an integral part and forms part of the earning of small …

Inventory Of Important Fodder Plants Of Ladakh Himalaya, Suheel Ahmad, J. P. Singh, D. K. Verma

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In Ladakh, livestock rearing is a major activity in the livelihoods of the population and contributes greatly to income generation in the region and therefore alleviating poverty. In agro-pastoral animal husbandry systems of Leh, Khaltsey, and Nubra blocks and limited areas in Nyoma and Durbok, villagers live in settled communities and practice sedentary agriculture, but they also keep relatively large herds of livestock to augment income and meet dietary and fibre subsistence needs (Ahmed, 2002). Due to prolonged and extreme cold winter, the agriculture season is very short which starts from May and ends by September depending upon different altitudes. …

Radiant Temperature Of Cattle According To Rangeland Environment And Breed, Luciano A. González, Anne-Sophie Clerc, Christopher J. O’Neill

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Heat stress can reduce growth rate and reproduction of beef cattle in tropical regions, which might be accentuated under a scenario of climate change. Adaptation of breeds, acclimatisation of individuals, and shade (natural or artificial) can be used to mitigate heat stress in cattle with body temperature used as an indicator (Finch 1977). In the past few years, infrared temperature (IRT) of the eye and hide have been used as an indicators of core body temperature for disease detection and heat produced (Schaefer et al. 2012; Montanholi et al. 2008). IRT could become an automatic and remote measurement …

Estimated Effects Of Climate Change On Grassland Production And Legume Content Across Southern Australia, Andrew D. Moore, Afshin Ghahramani

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Climate changes caused by anthropogenic increases in greenhouse gases such as CO₂ will affect southern Australia along with the rest of the globe. Dryland pastures supporting extensive beef, sheepmeat and wool production occupy a third of southern Australia’s farming zone. These livestock production systems are highly sensitive to climatic variation, because they depend almost entirely on pasture as their source of feed. Given the diversity of current climates, soils and pastures that are found across southern Australia, and the spatial variation in projected climate changes (CSIRO 2007), it can also be expected that the impacts of changing climates on …

Comparative Analysis Of Climate Change Adaptation Options Across The Southern Australian Livestock Industry, Afshin Ghahramani, Andrew D. Moore

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Climate change is predicted to have a substantial negative effect on the productivity of grasslands across southern Australia (Moore and Ghahramani 2013). We used the GRAZPLAN biophysical simulation models to assess several possible grassland management and animal genetic improvement adaptations under SRES A2 climate change scenario. Simulations spanned the five dimensions of geography, time, global circulation models, enterprise, and adaptations. Impact of climate change was predicted to reduce profitability of livestock industry by 46%, 58%, and 72% at 2030, 2050 and 2070, respectively. Increasing soil fertility could return the average profitability of five livestock enterprises to its historical level at …

Performance Of Calves Receiving By-Products Of Oil Palm During The Dry Season In An Integrated Pasture-Forestry System In Pré-Amazonic Regions Of Brazil, Xerxes M. Tosta, Rosane C. Rodrigues, Maria Elizabeth Oliveira, Jose A. C. Junior, Ivan B. M. Sampaio

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The integrated farming and livestock-forestry constitutes a viable alternative for the advancement of sustainable agriculture through its influence on social and ecological processes. Silvopastoral systems are integrated systems characterised by the management of animals in an agricultural-forestry association. These systems aim to provide shade for animals, stabilize forage production for meat production and/or milk products, forestry and various other environmental services (Maurício et al. 2010). Despite the benefits mentioned, the seasonality in the production of tropical forages needs to be considered. An efficient way to avoid losses in animal production in the dry season is with the use of …

Characterizing Feeds And Feed Availability In Sud-Kivu Province, Dr Congo, Samy B. Bacigale, Birthe K. Paul, Fabrice L. Muhimuzi, Neville Mapenzi, Michael Peters, Brigitte L. Maass

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Animal husbandry in the Sud-Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is gradually moving towards stall feeding, due to demographic pressure (Battistin et al. 2009) and scarcity of collectable forages (DSRP-RDC 2005). Therefore, feed is considered one of the main constraints faced by livestock production, especially in the dry season (Katunga et al. 2009; Maass et al. 2012). Unaffordable, fluctuating prices and inaccessibility of feed concentrates and the lack of improved forages adapted to marginal conditions, making them non-competitive with food crops, further exacerbate the livestock feeding situation. This study within the African Food …

Managing Grassland Systems In A Changing Climate: The Search For Practical Solutions, Jean-François Soussana, Luis Gustavo Barioni, Tamara Ben Ari, Rich Conant, Pierre Gerber, Petr Havlik, Alexandre Ickowicz, Mark Howden

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

By the end of the XXI^st century, a global temperature rise between 1.5 and 4°C compared to 1980-1999 and CO₂ concentrations in the range 550-900 ppm are expected, together with an increased frequency of extreme climatic events (heat waves, droughts, and heavy rain) that is likely to negatively affect grassland production and livestock systems in a number of world regions. Grassland management has a large potential to mitigate livestock greenhouse gas emissions at a low (or even negative) cost, by combining a moderate intensification, the restoration of degraded pastures and the development of silvo-pastoral systems. Climate change vulnerability …

Feeding The World In 2050: Trade-Offs, Synergies And Tough Choices For The Livestock Sector, Jimmy Smith, Shirley Tarawali, Delia Grace, Keith Sones

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Feeding the World in 2050 is a major challenge at the forefront of the global development agenda. The importance of agriculture in addressing this challenge has re-emerged in recent years as food security issues are considered in a more holistic manner. The role of livestock as part of the solution is, however, often not considered. This article presents a brief overview of the global food security challenge, and considers the increased focus on holistic food systems. It contends that animal agriculture is relevant to this complex, multifaceted and dynamic global challenge. However, if livestock-based solutions are to become a reality …

Participatory And Holistic Approaches With Grassland Farmers And Development Of Policies, Alain Peeters

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The world is changing rapidly. Grassland farmers and ruminant livestock breeders will have to adapt to these changing environmental, social and economic conditions. Research can help them at the condition that linear ‘top-down’ technology transfer methods are abandoned for the benefit of participatory and holistic approaches. These approaches classified in the generic term of ‘Farming System Research’ consider farmers as real research partners, and they merge farmer’s and scientist’s ideas with those of other stakeholder types. They combine scientist’s and farmer’s knowledge for creating fast innovations, easily adopted by farmers since farmers themselves contribute to their design and their development. …

Nutrient Movements Through Ruminant Livestock Production Systems, Adegbola T. Adesogan, Jose C. B. Dubeux, Lynn E. Sollenberger

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Considerable attention has been paid to reducing nutrient emissions from ruminant livestock in the last few decades. This area will continue to attract considerable research in the future due to increasing farm sizes in some developed countries as well as the increasing demand for meat and dairy products, particularly in developing countries. This paper discusses the deposition and losses of carbon and nitrogen in soils and plants in grazed and harvested forage systems as well as utilization and losses of both nutrients by ruminants in both systems. The paper also outlines several soil, plant, and animal-focused strategies that can be …

Stakeholders Integration For Sustainable Use Of Temperate Forage/Livestock Agriculture, Garry D. Lacefield, Don Ball

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Forage/livestock production is complex, and best management options are often site-specific, but some concepts have broad application. The intent of this article is to provide an overview of research-based management approaches that the authors believe are necessary to ensure the sustainability of forage/livestock farms. This overview discussion is needed because livestock agriculture is changing, thus creating both challenges and opportunities for producers. In the last 30 years, beef numbers in the USA have declined by 20%, but production per cow has more than doubled, resulting in increased total production on less land with fewer animals. Similar statistics exist for the …

Sustainable Grasslands: Resolving Management Options For Livelihood And Environmental Benefits, David R. Kemp, Warwick B. Badgery, David L. Michalk

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

To help solve the major issues of improving livelihoods and environmental services, grassland research needs to be evaluated within the context of relevant farm systems. Treatments need to show that they not only have significant effects but that they have effects that are meaningful in the context of the relevant farm system. Research often defines an optimum criterion for management that is a single point, but that is difficult to achieve in practice, especially when there are several components in a grassland system that need to be optimised. It is argued that an appropriate criterion for optimising management is a …

Livestock And Local Development: Going To A New Humananimal Relationship, Jean François Tourrand, Laurent Dobremez, Benoit Dedieu, Guillaume Duteurtre, M. G. Piketty, P. Lescoat, B. Hubert

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Along the past ten years, the French National Agency for Research (ANR) has financed projects regarding livestock. Results of five projects were gathered to understand the long-term livestock trends. At the end of the 19th century, animal breeding was oriented towards the production of goods to meet the local, regional, national and global demand, according to the zone. The market gradually became the key-factor to norm both production and consumption. It is now integrating environmental norms and is starting to invest in the social domain. However, this economical vision of animal production does not take into account the other functions …