Track 2-3-2: Impact of Grass and Legumes on Livestock Production, Soil Conservation and the Nitrogen Cycle in Grassland and Forage Ecosystems
Description
Cereal forages are important in the feeding of livestock for their high energy and dry matter content. However, they are low in protein content and inferior in other nutritional quality than the legume forages. Ruminants required protein as well as energy to maintain their production. Supplementation of protein through concentrates is cost effective in livestock production. Besides, ruminant is unique in having the potential for cycling forage materials, poor quality protein and non protein nitrogen sources into human food supply as meat and milk (Eskandary et al., 2009). Thus, management of forages for livestock feeding either in feedlot or in pasture grazing is the key task of livestock manager to minimize cost in maximization of profit. In agricultural system, intercropping is a crop management system involving two or more crop species grown together for at least part of their productive cycle (Innis, 1997). Cereal legume intercropping system is more productive and profitable cropping system for the supply of balanced nutrients to livestock. Besides, animal welfare committee pointed out that there should not be restriction or prevention of natural innate behaviour including natural foraging or exploratory behaviour of animal. As per this, animals foraging behaviour on feeding and thereby analysis of the system and its application in livestock farming and pasture development as per species of animal became utmost important in forthcoming days of livestock farming. Intercropping of cereals and legumes can boost forage protein of animal’s diet which may be tested for animals choice in foraging will justify the ethics in animal feeding.
Included in
Ethical Use of Cereal Legume Intercrop Forages for Feeding of Sheep and Pasture Development
Cereal forages are important in the feeding of livestock for their high energy and dry matter content. However, they are low in protein content and inferior in other nutritional quality than the legume forages. Ruminants required protein as well as energy to maintain their production. Supplementation of protein through concentrates is cost effective in livestock production. Besides, ruminant is unique in having the potential for cycling forage materials, poor quality protein and non protein nitrogen sources into human food supply as meat and milk (Eskandary et al., 2009). Thus, management of forages for livestock feeding either in feedlot or in pasture grazing is the key task of livestock manager to minimize cost in maximization of profit. In agricultural system, intercropping is a crop management system involving two or more crop species grown together for at least part of their productive cycle (Innis, 1997). Cereal legume intercropping system is more productive and profitable cropping system for the supply of balanced nutrients to livestock. Besides, animal welfare committee pointed out that there should not be restriction or prevention of natural innate behaviour including natural foraging or exploratory behaviour of animal. As per this, animals foraging behaviour on feeding and thereby analysis of the system and its application in livestock farming and pasture development as per species of animal became utmost important in forthcoming days of livestock farming. Intercropping of cereals and legumes can boost forage protein of animal’s diet which may be tested for animals choice in foraging will justify the ethics in animal feeding.
