PUMMY KUMARI*, VINOD KUMAR MALIK, VINOD KUMAR, SATPAL AND S. K. PAHUJA
Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125 004 (Haryana), India
Department of Plant Pathology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125 004 (Haryana), India
Department of Biochemistry, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125 004 (Haryana), India
*(e-mail: pummy.hau@gmail.com)
(Received : 2 March 2021; Accepted : 25 June 2023)
SUMMARY
Livestock sector plays a pivotal role in the economic growth of any agriculture based country. This sector is the major source of energy for mankind. Among livestock, milch cattle play a distinctive role to provide energy food to human beings. In developing countries livestock sector is major source of employment for rural youth also. However, due to rapid change in agricultural
practices and increasing population pressure, there is drastic change in animal husbandry practices. Majority of available agriculture land is under food and cash crop cultivation. In rural areas, animal fodder demand is still fulfilled by naturally grown grasses and shrubs which are of low nutritional quality having low crude protein, IVDMD and available energy. Thus, they depend mainly on seasonal forage varieties which results in fluctuations of green fodder supply and milk yield round the year. Since last three decades, area under fodder crops is stagnant and it needs to be addressed timely. Creation of awareness among farmers regarding availability of nutritionally rich quality folder option especially in semi-arid tropics and development of good number of fodder accessions will certainly help to solve this issue to a great extent.
Key words: Livestock, green fodder, forage breeding and nutrition