Forage Production Technology for Arable Lands - Indian Grassland ...

esource, adoption of suitable management improves overall productivity and increasednutrient use efficiency.Constraints in adoption: In many farming situations forage crops receives less priority,hidden hunger of the micronutrients does not allow the realization of the full potential ofbiomass production in calcareous soils. Micronutrient application to manage it furtherincreases the dependence of farmers on external input. This may limit the adoption of thistechnology.Scope for commercialisation: Calcareous soils are distributed throughout the country.Integration of organic manures in nutrient management helps in amelioration of suchsoils. Hence, livestock based mixed farming in such areas provide opportunity foramelioration of soil resources with income generation at farm. Ensured profitability dueto resource flow from both the farm enterprise provides unique opportunity forcommercialization of the forage crops in these niches.4.4. Forage production in waterlogged soilWaterlogged soils are defined as an area where water stagnates on the land surface or thewater table rises to an extent that soil pores in the crop root zone becomes saturated,resulting in restrictions in normalcirculation of air, decline in the levelof oxygen and increase in level ofcarbon di oxide (Central Water andPower Commission, India). Thecontinuous availability of excesswater in root zone causes pooraeration, which in turn results intopoor growth and nutrient uptake. Thenitrification process is found to below. Such lands are not remunerativefor food/cash crop production but could be used for forage production.Adaptation area: About 8.53 million ha of cultivated land suffers on account of variedlevel of water logging. Severely waterlogged saline soils occur in Haryana, Punjab,Rajasthan and Gujarat. Water logging adversely affects the crop production in indogangeticplains of North India. Some waterlogged areas also exist in Bihar, Kerala, TamilNadu, West Bengal, Assam and Uttar Pradesh. Areas along the major irrigation canal arealso waterlogged for substantial period.Components/input requirements: In such soil conditions crop production isconstrained by poor drainage condition causing temporary or prolonged anoxiccondition. Provision of suitable drainage and bunding can prevent water logging to some40 Forage Production Technology for Arable Lands