Impact of round the year mixed fodder cultivation on milk production of dairy animals

Abstract

Livestock sub-sector plays an important role in developing the rural economy by providing balanced and cheap nutritional food in the form of milk and other animal products. Deficit in the green fodder availability has been increased over years. Hence KVK Haveri designed a Front line demonstration to promote year-round mixed fodder cultivation for sustainable dairy farming. Demonstration conducted continuously for four years starting from 2019-20, every year in one village ten farmers were selected and total forty farmers in four villages were given fodder seeds and training on fodder cultivation. Demonstration includes growing CoFS-31 as a cereal fodder, Hedge lucerne as a legume fodder and sesbania as tree type fodder and providing them to animals as a green fodder in the ratio of 75:25 {Cereals: (legume+ tree fodder)}. In this demonstrated mixed fodder cultivation resulted average yield 231.32 t/ha/year which was significantly (p<0.05) higher compared with check fodder yield 130.59 t/ha/year. The benefit cost ratio (BCR) of demonstration was 2.21, which is significantly (p<0.05) higher when compared with check BCR 1.87. Results of this technology revealed that milk yield increased up to 11.51 percent that indicates animals getting balanced green fodder availability throughout the year. KVK promotes mixed fodder cultivation as one of the component of integrated farming system in the district. In Conclusion, mixed fodder farming is more productive and profitable than conventional fodder growing methods, which is getting popularised among the farmers.