A review of India’s fodder production status and opportunities

Abstract

Agriculture and animal husbandry are culturally, religiously, and economically intertwined with the intricate fabric of human society, as mixed farming and livestock rearing are a vital element of rural life (Dagar, 2017). Draught power, rural transportation, manure, fuel, milk and meat all are provided by livestock, which is quite often the only source of monetary revenue for subsistence farmers and also act as insurance against the crop failure. It also directly affects the livelihood and food security of nearly a billion people around the world and affects the diet and health of many more (Downing et al., 2017;Hurst et al., 2005). For millennia, livestock has been a symbol of wealth and power across civilizations, and India is lucky to have the world's largest and most diverse livestock population. Around 70% of households rely on the livestock and agriculture sector for their livelihood (Ghosh et al., 2016). According to the 20th Livestock Census -2019, India's total livestock population is 535.82 million, up by 4.6% from the previous Census in 2012. Cattle, buffalo, mithun and yak make up the 302.82 million bovine populations. It is home to 57.3% of the world's buffalo population and 14.7% of the world's cattle population. In the country, there are around 74.26 million sheep and 148.8 million goats (20th Livestock Census-2019, 2019).

Approximate climate analysis for assessing the suitability of Indian climate zones for hydroponic fodder applications

“…This is a crucial detail in a country with a rising middle class, and consequently a rising meat and dairy consumption [1]. Due to the lack of pesticides, herbicides or any chemical products, there is no chemical runoff or seepage [3]. Phand and Pankaj [13] have reported a decrease in enteric rumination in cattle fed on a hydroponic fodder diet, which might potentially result in lesser methane emissions from the dairy industry.…”

“…According to the Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, India faced a 30% shortage of green fodder in 2020. There is currently a net deficiency of 35.6% in green fodder production in India [3]. There is an immediate need to increase the productivity of fodder crops while using marginal acreage to fulfill the fodder IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1084/1/012012 2 requirements of the rising livestock population [4].…”

Enhancing growth, quality, and metabolism of nitrogen of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) by high red–blue light intensity

“…It has also shown promise in forage production, particularly in the successful cultivation of crops (barley, maize, and wheat) as fodder (Ebenezer et al, 2021;Francis et al, 2018;Kochetova et al, 2023). Hydroponically grown fodder in PFAL has proven to be more palatable and nutritious compared to traditionally field-grown fodder, offering enhanced health benefits to livestock (Singh et al, 2022). However, no reports have been published thus far regarding the feasibility of forage production and technological investigations in the PFAL.…”

Analysis of genetic parameters, trait association and genetic diversity in fodder cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]

“…Due to the increase in animal population and dwindling resources, the availability has come down by 50 per cent of the total requirement (Agrawal et al, 2008). Presently the net deficiency in availability of green fodder and dry fodder is 35.6 and 10.95 per cent, respectively (Singh et al, 2022). As per the IGFRI Vision 2050 document, the demand for green fodder is projected to increase to 1012 million tonnes and dry fodder demand could be 631 million tonnes in the year 2050.…”