R. S. DHILLON*, KANTA SABHARWAL, K. K. BHARDWAJ, SATPAL AND SONIADEVI
Department of Forestry, Krishi Vigyan Kender, Mandkola, Department of Soil Science
Department of G&PB (Forage Section), 5Krishi Vigyan Kender, Jhajjar
CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125004 (Haryana), India
*(e-mail : rsdhillon67@gmail.com)
(Received : 11 December 2023; Accepted : 28 December 2023)
SUMMARY
Livestock production in developing countries faces several difficulties such as a general shortage of feed resources, regional availability, and quality. Climate change further exacerbates these problems, leading to a massive reduction in ruminant productivity. Therefore, there is a need for the use of adaptable and resilient forage plants that can also contribute to reducing greenhouse gases. Over the last few years, underutilized crops and trees have captured the attention of plant scientists, nutritionists, and growers. Moringa oleifera (moringa) is one of those plants that has been neglected for several years but now is being investigated for its fast growth, higher nutritional attributes, and utilization as a livestock fodder crop. It can be grown as a crop on marginal lands with high temperatures and low water availability, where it is difficult to cultivate other agricultural crops. Moringa tree is well known as an agroforestry tree and has adapted to growing in harsh conditions. It produces a high amount of biomass in a short period and contains high levels of nutrients and biologically active components. All parts of this versatile tree are valuable and have multiple benefits and applications. Therefore, this tree species has great potential and can be used as a forage crop, storing carbon dioxide (CO2) and improving livestock performance and the livelihoods of farmers in the tropics. This review article is aimed to highlight the use of moringa in livestock as well as suitable growing conditions, cultural practices and its contribution to climate change mitigation.
Key words: Moringa, livestock, fodder, methane, climate change and mitigation