Page 109 - Agroforestry system - book inner (final corrected) - 9.-3-21_Neat

National level e-symposium on “Agroforestry system for augmenting livestock
productivity and empowering resource poor rural farmers”

their utilization as livestock fodder is sometimes limited due to the presence of dietary antinutritional factors
like tannins which affect the voluntary intake and digestibility of the fodder in animals consuming it.

This paper discusses on the value addition of fodder from agroforestry systems through fodder
conservation techniques, and negating the harmful effects of antinutritional factors in fodder for enhancement
of their feeding value.
Value addition of fodder from agroforestry systems

Post-harvest management of forage or fodder is very much essential in order to reduce the losses during
surplus production, ensure the fodder availability during lean period, to improve the self-life of feed and the
quality of roughages (Hanamant et al., 2018). The common methods include hay and silage making.

Hay
The aim in hay making is to reduce the moisture content of the green crop to a level low enough to inhibit
the action of plant and microbial enzymes. In order that a green crop may be stored satisfactorily in a stack
or bale, the moisture content must be reduced to 15-20%. The process of hay making includes the following
steps
 Selection of crop – Soft pliable stem

 Harvesting of crop – Preflowering stage
 Drying of crop – Natural drying or artificial drying
Silage

Silage is the material produced by the controlled fermentation of a crop of high moisture content.
Procedure involved in silage making includes the following steps.
 Selection of crop
 Harvesting of crop (50% of the crop must be in ear emergence stage)

 Wilting of the crop – to reduce moisture percentage in order to reduce effluent loss
 Chaffing of the crop – To facilitate compression in silo and prevent the development of air pockets
thus create complete anaerobic condition in silo.
 Preperation of the silo
 Filling up of the silo
 Compaction of the filled material to remove any air pockets

 Sealing of the silo to prevent the entry of air or water
 Opening the silo after a month and using the silage for feeding animals
In order to obtain silage of high nutritive value, grass should be cut shortly after, the ear emergence
stage of growth as digestibility falls rapidly with increasing herbage maturity. High protein grass crops and
legumes are difficult to ensile satisfactory, because of low soluble carbohydrate content and because of their
high buffering capacity. If the soluble carbohydrate content of the crop is known to be a limiting factor, then
a sugar additive, such as molasses, may be sprayed on to the crop at the time of filling the silo.

90 Institute of Animal Nutrition, Centre for Animal Production Studies, TANUVAS
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development