Introduction to major field crops (1+1)

Introduction

The agricultural prosperity in India is intimately bound up with domestic animals maintained by the agriculturists. Malnutrition and under feeding to the cattle lowers the national wealth and productivity. By supplying nutritious feeds, milk yield in milch animals and efficiency in draught animals could be enhanced considerably. There is an urgent need to enhance the fodder resources. The fodder resources can be improved by the adoption of better techniques of fodder production, introduction of nutritious exotic types of fodder, development of grassland farming, improving grazing grounds, etc. As there is population pressure of land, it is essential to intensify efforts towards production of high yielding forage crops per unit area.

Forage crops comprises mostly of grasses and legumes. Mixing of legume and non-legume fodder crops should be regularized in the ratio of 40:60. Forages are rich source of calcium, phosphorus, minerals and vitamin A. Feeding of good quality forages leads to maintenance of animals, normal reproduction, and production of liberal amount of milk and butter fat. Further, forages are the cheapest source of nutrients for dairy animals. Harvest of forage crops at right time ensures more of digestible proteins, increased palatability and less wastage of fodder.All cereal crops, grasses and legumes cut at the stage of flowering are most suitable as forage feeds.

Fig: Fodder Crops.