Offered Papers Theme B: Grassland and the Environment
Description
Livestock rearing is an important pursuit in mountain farming in India and plays a crucial role throughout the country. The preponderance of marginal and small landholdings (about 82%) in hilly regions does not allow the farmers to allocate even a small part of their land exclusively for forage production. In Himachal Pradesh state of India about 1.16 m ha (20% of the total area) is under permanent pastures and other grazing lands and none of the natural grasslands are fertilised in any form. Existing grasslands have deteriorated to such an extent that their carrying capacity is only 1.05 ACU (Adult Cattle Unit, with an average body weight of 350 kg)/ha (Vashist et al., 2000). Biofertiliser-based technologies could be appropriate and cost effective approaches that are easy to adopt and eco-friendly. Response may arise from increased populations of phosphate solubilisers in the rhizosphere in P- deficient soils resulting in mobilisation of insoluble phosphorus (Raghu & Mac Rac, 1967). The study was undertaken with the main objectives of assessing the effects of biofertilisers on productivity and quality of natural grassland and the level of N and P substitution by biofertilisers.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Integrated Nutrient Management for Natural Grasslands of Mid-Hills of Himalayas
Livestock rearing is an important pursuit in mountain farming in India and plays a crucial role throughout the country. The preponderance of marginal and small landholdings (about 82%) in hilly regions does not allow the farmers to allocate even a small part of their land exclusively for forage production. In Himachal Pradesh state of India about 1.16 m ha (20% of the total area) is under permanent pastures and other grazing lands and none of the natural grasslands are fertilised in any form. Existing grasslands have deteriorated to such an extent that their carrying capacity is only 1.05 ACU (Adult Cattle Unit, with an average body weight of 350 kg)/ha (Vashist et al., 2000). Biofertiliser-based technologies could be appropriate and cost effective approaches that are easy to adopt and eco-friendly. Response may arise from increased populations of phosphate solubilisers in the rhizosphere in P- deficient soils resulting in mobilisation of insoluble phosphorus (Raghu & Mac Rac, 1967). The study was undertaken with the main objectives of assessing the effects of biofertilisers on productivity and quality of natural grassland and the level of N and P substitution by biofertilisers.
