Page 36 - 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”

by Dept of Poultry Science, VCRI, Namakkal. This variety lays upto 150 -160 eggs in free range system
compared to assels low productivity of 60-70eggs.

Type of soil

S.No. Type of Soil Place in District
1. Red Loam Namakkal, Elachipalayam, Pudhuchatram, Mallasamuduram,
Rasipuram, Tiurchengode, Paramathi and parts of Pallipalayam.
2. Lateritic soil Kolli hills

3. Black soil Erumapatti, Kabilarmalai, Mohanur, Namagiripettai, Parts of
Pallipalayam.

4. Sandy Coastal Alluvium Kabilarmalai
5. Red Sandy soil Puduchatram
6. Clay Loam Sendamangalam, Vennandur, Erumapatti.

The red soil is suited for ground nut production chiefly as a rain fed crop. Groundnut haulms are stored
(1500 -2000 kg/acre) as a supplementary feed for sheep and goats. During summer showers short duration
green gram is grown in Pudhuchatram block in red loamy soils. The thrashed stem and leaves are stored as
heaps or in gunny bags and fed as roughages for goats.

The predominant rain fed crop across the district is Tapioca. It is a annual crop. From fifth month onwards
farmers harvest the leaves and feed goats as a sole feed. Low cyanide varieties of tapioca are cultivated mainly
to integrate with goats.

The lateric soil of Kolli hills is suitable for pine trees, Jack fruit, Pineapple, and Hill banana. The bunds
of the fields are sown with Cumbu Napier (Co3/Co4) varieties as a fodder for cattle and to prevent soil
erosion. Goats are grown in Kolli hills where they feed on forest leaves and pasture in uncultivated area.

Sugarcane is cultivated in river beds and the sugarcane tops are fed as a green fodder for buffaloes.
Rainfall pattern

1. South West Monsoon : June – September - 320 -330 mm.
2. North East Monsoon : October – December - 290 -320 mm.
3. Winter Rainfall : January – February - 10 -15 mm.
4. Summer Rainfall : March – May - 120 -140 mm.

5. Mean rainfall / year - 720 -770 mm.
Ideal pasture and fodder for dry land farming system : The advantage of this rainfall pattern is pasture
grasses like cencrus, stylo, Multicut fodder sorghum ( COFS 29) which are grown in barren lands or in
coconut groves, have excellent regrowth even after a long dry spell of 40-50 days. They withstand trampling
by grazing cattle, sheep or goats. Auto seed shedding is an added advantage. They propogate by the self
shedding process, thus the plant population is maintained for three to five years. The urine and manure from

Institute of Animal Nutrition, Centre for Animal Production Studies, TANUVAS
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development 17