Fodder Unit at DDS KVK
Improved fodder cultivation plays a crucial role in enhancing livestock productivity and ensuring sustainable farming systems. High-quality, nutritious fodder varieties like CO4, Buffel Grass, and Smart Napier provide essential nutrients required for optimal milk and meat production, boosting farmers' income. Additionally, cultivating leguminous fodders like Cowpea and Field Bean helps improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation, promoting environmentally friendly farming practices. Ensuring year-round availability of quality fodder through improved varieties also reduces dependency on expensive commercial feeds, making livestock farming more economical and resilient.
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At DDS Krishi Vigyan Kendra, we have established a dedicated 1.6-acre fodder unit to ensure a consistent supply of high-quality fodder for livestock throughout the year. This unit serves as a demonstration and training site for farmers, promoting best practices in fodder cultivation and management.
Fodder Varieties Cultivated:
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Buffel Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris):
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A drought-resistant, perennial grass suitable for arid and semi-arid regions. It provides excellent grazing and hay-making options for livestock.
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Phule Jaywant (bajra x napier grass hybrid)
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A multi-cut sorghum variety known for its high biomass yield and nutritive value, suitable for silage and green fodder.
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CO4 (Hybrid Napier Grass):
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A fast-growing, high-yielding fodder crop rich in protein. It is ideal for both cut-and-carry systems and silage preparation.
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Red Napier (Pennisetum purpureum):
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A superior variety of Napier grass known for its high digestibility, protein content, and palatability.
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Smart Napier:
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A high-quality hybrid Napier variant bred for increased productivity, disease resistance, and nutritional benefits.
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Fodder Cactus (Opuntia spp.):
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A resilient, drought-tolerant fodder option providing succulent feed to livestock during dry spells.
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Hedge Lucerne (Desmanthus virgatus):
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A perennial leguminous shrub that offers protein-rich green fodder and improves soil fertility through nitrogen fixation.
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Maize (Zea mays):
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A popular fodder crop with high energy content, suitable for silage and green fodder.
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Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata):
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A leguminous crop that provides high-quality protein fodder and improves soil fertility, making it an excellent rotational crop.
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Field Bean (Dolichos lablab):
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A leguminous fodder rich in protein, suitable for green fodder, silage, and dry fodder.
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Moringa (Moringa oleifera):
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Moringa, particularly its leaves, is a valuable and nutritious fodder source for goats, offering a good source of protein, minerals, and beneficial biomolecules, improving nutrient digestibility and overall goat health
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Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.): is a plant grown for its tuberous roots in tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate regions. Sweet potato tubers are a staple food or an alternative food in many countries and part of the production is used for animal feeding.
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Sweet potato vines and foliage can be fed to various livestock, including pigs, goats, cattle, sheep, and rabbits, they can improve livestock production, including milk production in dairy animals and meat quality
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