Track 2-1-2: Forage Conservation, Value Addition and Balanced Nutrition
Description
The feed and fodder requirement for dairy animals is primarily met by roughages, green fodder and homemade concentrate mixtures. Roughages are high in crude fibrous material which essentially consists of cellulose, hemi-cellulose and to some extent lignin. Livestock production is backbone of Indian Agriculture and source of employment in rural areas for centuries. To meet the demand of feeding these huge livestock population an adequate supply of feed throughout the year is the prerequisite for successful animal production programmes.
A huge gap between demand and supply of feed and fodder exists in our country. This huge gap between requirement and availability of livestock feeds like dry fodders, green fodders could however be bridged by proper post harvest management of all kind of forage resources and search for alternate source of protein rich forage supplement. The most common livestock feed resources are crop reduces (straw, stover, haulms etc). All of these fodder resources are highly voluminous and having lower density varying from 40-70 kg/m3 due to which there transportation, storage and handling are very cumbersome and expensive and therefore cannot be utilized up to a maximum extent. Storage is a repeated phase during transit of agricultural produce and the product needs to be stored from one harvest to next thus, demanding additional carry over as safe guard, against speculation in price and market demand or against shortage and famine.
Included in
Evaluation of Grass Bales Stored under Cover and Plinth System of Storage
The feed and fodder requirement for dairy animals is primarily met by roughages, green fodder and homemade concentrate mixtures. Roughages are high in crude fibrous material which essentially consists of cellulose, hemi-cellulose and to some extent lignin. Livestock production is backbone of Indian Agriculture and source of employment in rural areas for centuries. To meet the demand of feeding these huge livestock population an adequate supply of feed throughout the year is the prerequisite for successful animal production programmes.
A huge gap between demand and supply of feed and fodder exists in our country. This huge gap between requirement and availability of livestock feeds like dry fodders, green fodders could however be bridged by proper post harvest management of all kind of forage resources and search for alternate source of protein rich forage supplement. The most common livestock feed resources are crop reduces (straw, stover, haulms etc). All of these fodder resources are highly voluminous and having lower density varying from 40-70 kg/m3 due to which there transportation, storage and handling are very cumbersome and expensive and therefore cannot be utilized up to a maximum extent. Storage is a repeated phase during transit of agricultural produce and the product needs to be stored from one harvest to next thus, demanding additional carry over as safe guard, against speculation in price and market demand or against shortage and famine.
