Page 43 - 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”

S1-2

On-farm Evaluation of Fodder Bank Trees at Boundary Planting in a Typical Small Holder
Farm of Central Kerala, India

Chichaghare AR* , Asha K Raj , Kunhamu TK 1
1
1
1 Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur-680656, Kerala, India
*Corresponding author’s email- akashchichaghare94@gmail.com
Introduction

The livestock sector forms an integral component of rural living in Kerala by providing food and
financial security, employment opportunities, asset creation, and insurance against crop failure. However, the
livestock sector in Kerala is seriously constrained due to inadequate feed and fodder base. Similarly, Kerala
produces only 60% of the roughage requirement for livestock (Kerala State Planning Board, 2018), with a
huge deficit in crude protein supply. Hence, farmers entirely depend on purchased concentrate feeds, which
offset their profit to a great extent. Moreover, the yield of grasses also declines during dry periods causing
seasonal productivity decline in livestock. In this context, sustainable and profitable livestock production in
humid tropical areas could be achieved through tree planting on-farm to provide much-needed protein and
quality forage. Mulberry, kadamba, calliandra, agathi and gliricidia are promising fodder tress by virtue of
their nutritive foliage, fast-growing nature with higher biomass production, amenable to heavy pruning, good
coppicing ability and easy management (Raj et al., 2016; Varsha et al., 2019).
Material and Methods

The study was conducted in RBD with five treatments in 2019. Each treatment, Mulberry (Morus indica),
kadamba (Neolamarckia cadamba) calliandra (Calliandra calothyrsus), agathi (Sesbania grandiflora) and
gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium) was planted as triple hedgerows on farm boundary with a spacing of 45cm X
45cm on four (replication) sides of the farm. Each treatment were maintained at 1m height and harvested after
every two months in rainy season and gap of three month in summer season into leaf and stem fraction. Fresh
yield data obtained is analyzed by ANOVA using SPSS software.

Result and Discussion

Highest total fresh yield, total stem fresh yield and total leaf fresh yield were obtained in kadamba and
callindra as compared to others.

Conclusion

Integration of fodder trees in the farm as a triple hedgerow on a farm boundary can be a cheap and good
alternative to expensive concentrates as a source of quality forage.
References

Kerala State Planning Board, 2018. Economic Review 2017. Kerala State Planning Board, Thiruvananthapuram
[on-line]. Available: http://spb.kerala.gov.in/images/pdf/whats_new Vol2_E.pdf [Accessed 13 March
2019].

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