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

PREFACEAvailability of quality feed and forages has been considered as the major bottleneck inharnessing the potential of the livestock sector in India. Cultivated fodder is limited toless than 4.5 per cent of the total cropped area. At present, country faces a net deficit of63% green fodder, 24% dry crop residues and 64% feeds. Projections show a furtherincrease in demand by 2025 due to changing feeding and more dietary reliance onlivestock and its products. Only way to meet the fodder needs is to look for increasedproductivity per unit land area and also through integration of fodder crops in thecropping system. Crop Production Division at IGFRI, took steps forward and developedtechnologies for the forage intensification and its integration with the existing croppingsystems to harness the potential of forage resource development in different agroecosystems.This compilation is made primarily to provide up to date technology, fitting in the nichesof different resource base. Attempt has been made to present important forageproduction technologies suitable for irrigated and rainfed conditions. This compilationcontains four sections dedicated to the rain fed, irrigated, problem soil and new niches.Each section is dealing with the forage production technology developed for bestutilization of the resource base and neutralizes the challenges present in the targetedareas. A special section “new niche for forage production” is having listing of theopportunity of forage resource development existing in the non conventional areas.Efforts have been made in presenting all the information available in a clear and concisemanner. Any faux pas, if observed, may be due to chance only. Authors will appreciatecomments and suggestions for further improvement of the compilation. We gratefullyexpress our thanks to the scientists and staffs who have contributed in the preparation ofthe manuscript. We also express our thanks to Dr P. K. Ghosh, Director, IGFRI, for hisguidance and encouragement in bringing out this publication.Authors