UTILIZATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR FOOD, FEED AND FODDER FOR ANIMALS-A REVIEW
KIRTI* AND R. K. ARYA
Department of Zoology, Indra Gandhi University Meerpur, Rewari
MAP Section, Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, CCS HAU, Hisar-125 004 (Haryana), India
*(e-mail : sumanbhudalia09@gmail.com)
(Received : 15 May 2019; Accepted : 27 June 2019)
SUMMARY
There is urgent need to increasing the food, feed and fodder production in India to satisfy the hunger of domestic animals. Moreover, the problems related to nutrient deficiency and health is
increasing day by day. In addition to this, excessive exploitation of some important medicinal plants from their natural habitat have been reduced their status up to the endangered plants. Therefore, the cultivation of medicinal plants for food, feed and fodder is an urgent need in different agro-climatic regions of India as per their suitability to climatic conditions. Therefore, it becomes more import to discuss the various medicinal crop related for crop diversification as well as to improve the health of livestock as well as to increase the availability of quality animal products. Diversification through medicinal improves the cropping systems, utilization of waste/marginal lands, organic farming, quality of end products, soil health, ecological environmental and economics of cultivation system. The southern Haryana is suitable for cultivation of Asalio/chandersur, kasni, satawari, bakla, Aloe vera, alsi/linseed, methi, neem, bakain, artemesia etc. These crop were found suitable for utilization as food, feed, fodder for domestic animals. The feeding of domestic animal on such crop in addition to other
fodder crops improves the performance as well as health status of animals. In addition to this, feeding the animals on such plants also improves the quality of animal product.
Key words: Utilization, medicinal plants, health, food, feed, fodder, quality