🌵 Forage Crops

Major Characteristics of an ideal fodder crop

• It is nutritious, easily palatable and digestible.
• Not injurious at the stage at which it is fed to animal.
• It should be quick growing and early maturing.
• It should give high yield of green fodder.
• It should give maximum number of cuttings and biomass.
• It should grow well with little tillage and care.
• It should be capable of preserving as hay or silage.

Berseem

• Botanical name: Trifolium alexandrinum
• Family: Leguminoceae
• Origin: Egypt
• Also known as King of Fodder Crops/ Egyptian Clover beacuse of Egyptian origin.
• Optimum temperature required: 18 - 22 °C
• Sowing time: October to November
• Sowing method: Broadcasting
• Seed rate: 25-30 kg/ha (Diploid varieties) 35 kg/ha (Tetraploid varieties)
• Ratio of mixing diploid and Tetraploid varieties: 1:1 and 2:1
• Seed treatment: By Rhizobium trifolium culture.

Variety

• (a) Diploid: Vardan, Chindwara, BL-1, 11, 22, 52, C-10 (Maskavi), IGFRI 99-1
• (b) Tetraploid: Pusa giant, T-528, 560, 678

Weeds

• Kasni (Chicorium intybus – objectional weed), separated from berseem crop seed through 17 per cent salt solution.

  

• NPK: 20 : 60 : 30 kg/ha
• Cutting: First cutting at 50-55 days after sowing and subsequent cutting is taken at 25-35 days after previous cutting
• Forage yield: 80 - 100 tonnes/ha
• Glucosides found: Saponine

Lucerne/Alfalfa

• Botanical Name: Medicago sativa
• Family: Leguminosae
• Origin: South West Asia
• Also known as Queen of Fodder Crops.
• Optimum temperature required: 20 - 22 °C
• Sowing time: October
• Sowing method: Broadcasting
• Seed rate: 20 - 25 kg/ha
• Seed treatment: By Rhizobium meliloti culture
• Varieties: Moopa, Rambler, Anand-2, 3, Sirsa 1, 8, 9, Type - 8,9, NDRI – 1,2, IGFRI-5,54,244
• Weeds: Cuscuta reflexa (Doddar/amarbel – parasitic weed)
• NPK: 20-25:60-75:0-0 kg/ha
• Cutting: First cuing at 50-55 days after sowing and subsequent cuing is taken at 20-30 days after previous cutting
• Forage yield: 80 - 110 tonnes/ha
• Glucosides found: Saponins
• Physiological disorder: Lucern yellowing (due to boron deficiency)

Oats

• Botanical Name: Avena sativa
• Family: Poaceae
• Origin: Asia minor
• Sowing time: Mid October to Mid-November
• Sowing method: Broadcasting
• Seed rate 100 - 120 kg/ha (for bold seeded) : 80 -90 kg/ha (for small seeded)
• Spacing: 20-25 cm (Plant to plant)
• Irrigation (No.): 3 - 4
• Varieties: Kent, Algerian, UPO 50, Craig, Afterlee, Fulgham, Fleming gold, HFO-114, Brunker-10, UPD-90 HFO 114 – Both for Fodder and grain purpose.
• Weeds: Kasni (Chicorium intybus)
• NPK: 80 : 30 : 20 kg/ha
• Best stage for harvesting: Dough stage
• Cuttings: 2-3 cuttings, cutting at 70-75 days after planting
• Fodder yield: 40 - 45 tonnes/ha

Napier Grass (Elephant Grass)

• Botanical Name: Pennisatum purpuriam [PP]
• Family: Poaceae
• Origin: Rhodesia (South Africa)
• Best soil: Loam soil
• Sowing time: October
• Sowing method: Broadcasting
• Seed rate: 33,000 – 40,000 rooted slips
• Spacing: 60 x 60
• Varieties: Pusa giant (Hybrid): (Pennisatum purpuriam x Pennisatum typhoideum) NB-5, 21, EB-4, Coimbatore, Yeshwant
• Pusa giant is a variety of Papaya, Berseem and Napier grass. ^AFO-2021
• NPK: 40:30:20 kg/ha
• Cutting: First cutting at 70 days after planting and subsequent cutting is taken at 40-45 days intervals.

Fodder Sorghum/Chari

• Botanical name: Sorghum species
• Family: Poaceae
• Origin: Africa
• Optimum temperature required: 18 - 22 ºC
• Sowing time: North India – March to July, South India – February to November
• Seed rate: 40 - 50 kg/ha
• Spacing: 25 - 30 cm (Plant to plant)
• Varieties: JS-20, 29, 263, J3, Pusa chari, MP chari, Haryana chari, Dudhiya, Gwalior-82, 304, Vidisha 60-1, Ujjani 6, 8, CO-11, 18, 19
• NPK: 60:30:30 kg/ha
• Fodder yield: 50 - 70 tonnes/ha
• Chemical found: Dhurin/HCN (higher concentration is found at 30-35 days age of plant and mostly in Summer sorghum crop)

Fodder Maize

• Botanical Name: Zea mays
• Family: Poaceae
• Origin: America
• Optimum temperature required: 18 - 22 ºC
• Sowing time: North India – April to August, South India – February to November
• Seed rate: 40 - 60 kg/ha (60-75 kg/ha for Hybrid variety)
• Spacing: 25 - 30 cm (Plant to plant)
• Irrigation (No.): 4-5 (1-2 for kharif)
• Mixed cropping with: Cowpea, greengram, blackgram, horse gram
• Varieties: Ganga 5, African tall, J-1006, Vijay, Manjari, Deccan
• NPK: 60:40:30 kg/ha
• Best stage for harvesting: Between 50 to 60 days of growth
• No. of cuttings: One
• Fodder yield: 35 – 45 tonnes/ha