1. Sustainable Fodder Production
Strategy through Utilization of
Wastelands in Hills
J K Bisht,VPKAS, Almora

2.  Cultivated land - Residues, Weeds, Terrace risers, Slopes
 Fallow land - Grasses, Herbs, Shrubs
 Forest land - Grasses, Shrubs, Leaf fodder
 High altitude - Pastures: Grazing
NWHR: It offers following sources of fodder
Permanent pastures
Land under misc. trees
Forest area
Land put to non agril. use
Barren & uncult. waste
Net sown area
Cultivable waste
Fallow-current & other
Jammu & Kashmir
2.9%
1.6%
62.3%
4.5%
6.6%
16.6%
3.2%
2.3%
Himachal Pradesh
35.1%
1.4%
30.8%
5.8%
4.4%
16.7%
3.5%
2.3%
Uttarakhand
4.5%
4.3%
65.8%
2.2%
5.9%
10.3%
5.6%
1.3%

3. Different categories of land available for fodder cultivation
Landuse Area (million ha) Area available
for fodder
cultivation
(million ha)
Remarks
J&K H.P. UK Total
Agriculture 0.75 0.55 0.79 2.09 0.20 Ridge top and slope
of risers (10%
area)
Cultivable,
waste,
fallow
0.15 0.13 0.34 0.62 0.12 Area adjoining habit
ation(20% area)
Current
fallow
0.08 0.06 0.07 0.21 0.06 Inclusion of fodder in
cropping system
(30% area)
Forest 2.75 1.10 3.47 7.32 1.40 Plantation of in
forest floors
under community
forest (20% area)
Total area 3.73 1.84 4.67 10.24 1.78

4. Constraints
Agro eco system constraints
 Shortage of fodder
 Overgrazing
 Rangeland deterioration
Management constraints
 Suitable fodder trees
 Poor management
 Lack of integrated approach
Social and policy constraints
 Less area under cultivated fodder crops
 Attitude of free availability
 Community organization
 Benefits of sharing
Major Constraints and Potentials

5. Fodder Needs
Cattle population in UK = 48.87 lakh
Supply
 Green fodder = 105.12 (lakh t/year)
 Dry Fodder = 38.02 (lakh t/year)
 Total = 143.14 (lakh t/year)
Shortage
 Green fodder = 92.28 lakh t/year or 46.74 percent
 Dry Fodder = 16.29 lakh t/year or 29.99 percent
Requirement
 Green fodder = 197.40 (lakh t/year)
 Dry Fodder = 54.31 (lakh t/year)
 Total = 251.71 (lakh t/year)

6. Year Supply Demand Deficit as % of demand
(actual demands)
Green Dry Green Dry Green Dry
1995 379 421 947 526 60 (568) 20 (105)
2000 385 428 988 549 61 (604) 22 (121)
2005 390 443 1025 569 62 (635) 22 (126)
2010 395 451 1061 589 63 (666) 24 (138)
2015 401 466 1097 609 64(696) 23 (143)
2020 406 473 1134 630 64 (728) 25 (157)
2025 411 488 1170 650 65 (759) 25 (162)
Source: Draft report of the working group on animal husbandry and dairying
for five-year plan (2002-2007), Govt. of India, Planning Commission.
Scenario of feed and fodder requirement & availability:
(In million tones)

7. Constraints
Agro eco system constraints
 Shortage of fodder
 Overgrazing
 Rangeland deterioration
Management constraints
 Suitable fodder trees
 Poor management
 Lack of integrated approach
Social and policy constraints
 Less area under cultivated fodder crops
 Attitude of free availability
 Community organization
 Benefits of sharing
Major Constraints and Potentials

9. •Continuous grazing and over stocking
•Grazing of animals in large number too
early at regeneration stage
•grazing till the very onset of severe
winter denying the opportunity to the
nutritious forage var. to flower and to
produce seeds
•Proliferation of weeds
•Soil erosion
Reasons of deterioration in the
condition of bugyals

10. Constraints
Agro eco system constraints
 Shortage of fodder
 Overgrazing
 Rangeland deterioration
Management constraints
 Suitable fodder trees
 Poor management
 Lack of integrated approach
Social and policy constraints
 Less area under cultivated fodder crops
 Attitude of free availability
 Community organization
 Benefits of sharing
Major Constraints and Potentials

11. Potential area for fodder production
 Fallow land - Grasses, Herbs, Shrubs
 Forest land - Grasses, Shrubs, Leaf fodder
 High altitude – Pastures, Grazing
 Cultivated land - Residues, Weeds,
 Terrace risers, Slopes

12. Suitable Technologies
Wastelands and grasslands

13. Introduction of Improved Grasses and Legumes
Treatments Fodder
Yield (q/ha)
1. Pangola 272.8
2. Chrysopogon 238.3
3. Siratro pure 185.8
4. Pangola + Siratro (1:1) 357.3
5. Pangola + Siratro (1:2) 354.0
6. Chrysopogon + Siratro(1:1) 210.2
7. Chrysopogon + Siratro1:2) 234.7

14. Controlled Grazing
Enclosure period
Herbage
production
Average
(q/ha)
Species
(No.)
Open grassland 9.5 13.0
Two years’ closure 31.2 22.0
Five years’ closure 37.2 26.0
Long term cllosure 44.6 38.0

15. Fertility Management
Nitrogen levels
(kg/ha)
Phosphorus levels
(kg/ha)
Mean
0 30 60
0 17.8 23.2 32.2 24.4
30 34.2 42.8 52.7 43.2
60 47.0 55.1 70.2 57.4
Mean 33.0 40.3 51.7

16. P.dialataum
Paspalissum
P.clandestinum
C.plectortachus
Digitariasp.II
D.decumbanse
P.coloratum
One cut
Two cuts
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Green
forage
Yield
(q/ha)
Cutting Management

17. Establishment of Kudzu

18. Utilization of Sloping Lands

20. Potential area for fodder production
 Fallow land - Grasses, Herbs, Shrubs
 Forest land - Grasses, Shrubs, Leaf fodder
 High altitude - Pastures: Grazing
 Cultivated land - Residues, Weeds,
 Terrace risers, Slopes

21. Fodder production on forest floor
Green forage yield 400-800 q/ha

22. Hy. Napier at Different Sites

24. Silvipastoral System

25. Potential area for fodder production
 Fallow land - Grasses, Herbs, Shrubs
 Forest land - Grasses, Shrubs, Leaf fodder
 High altitude – Pastures, Grazing
 Cultivated land - Residues, Weeds,
 Terrace risers, Slopes

26. High altitude Pasture

27. Potential area for fodder production
 Fallow land - Grasses, Herbs, Shrubs
 Forest land - Grasses, Shrubs, Leaf fodder
 High altitude - Pastures: Grazing
 Cultivated land - Residues, Weeds,
 Terrace risers, Slopes

28. .
.
Silvihorti System

29. Agrihorti System

30. Potential area for fodder production
 Fallow land - Grasses, Herbs, Shrubs
 Forest land - Grasses, Shrubs, Leaf fodder
 High altitude - Pastures: Grazing
 Cultivated land - Residues, Weeds,
 Terrace risers, Slopes

32. Hy, Napier on Field Terrace Risers

33. Tree Plantation

34. Fodder Production Round the Year in Hills
S.N. Months Fodder trees Grasses Cultivated
fodder
1 Dec-Jan. Grewia optiva,
Quercus
leucotrichophora
, Q. glauca
,Q.dilata, and
Ailanthus
excelsa,
Perennial rye,
Tall fescue,
Cocksfoots,
Broome and
Grassland
manawa
Berseem, clover,
Dual purpose
wheat and
Barley, Lucerne,
Oat and Mustard
2 Feb-Mar. Ficus
spp,.Bauhinia
retusa Prunus
padam, and
Fraxinus
micantha,
Perinnial rye,
Tall fescue,
Cocksfoots,
Broome and
Grassland
manawa
Berseem,
Lucerne, clover
and Oat

35. Fodder Production Round the Year in Hills
S.N. Months Fodder trees Grasses Cultivated
fodder
3 Apr.-May Celtis austrelis,
Q.
leucotrichophor
a, Robinia
Perinnial rye,
Tall fescue,
Setaria Spp.
and Rhodes
Berseem,
Lucerne,
clover, and
Oat
4. June-July Bauhinia spp.,
Albizia, Morus
alba, Robinia
pseudo acacia
and Alnus
nepalensis
Hy. Napier,
Setaria Spp.
Rhodes, Panicum
Spp, Pangola,
Thysanolaena
maxima, Congo
signal and local
Maize cowpea
and Desmodium

36. S.N. Months Fodder trees Grasses Cultivated
fodder
5 Aug.-Sep Bauhinia
spp.,Albizia,
Morus alba,
Robinia pseudo
acacia and
Alnus
nepalensis
Hy. Napier,
Setaria Spp.,
Rhodes, Panicum
Spp,,
Thysanolaena
maxima Pangola,
Congo signal and
local
Maize
cowpea and
Desmodium
6. Oct.-
Nov.
Bauhinia spp,
Albizia, and
Alnus
nephalensis,
Hy. Napier,
Setaria spp.
Rhodes, Panicum
Spp, Pangola,
Thysanolaena
maxima , Congo
signal and local
Desmodium,
Cowpea,
Perinnial and
winter
grasses ,
Fodder Production Round the Year in Hills

37. •A rational proportion of trees/ shrubs and grasses in grazing land
•Regulating grazing in pasture and grazing lands
•Planting of improved grasses and leguminous fodder in the
grasslands
•Creation of fodder banks & Scientific processing
•Changing the forest plantation policy from industrial to fodder
oriented
•Undertaking of special rejuvenation programme for alpine pasture
•Development of suitable fodder production models as per land
holding
FUTURE RESEARCH NEEDS

38. •Participatory techniques to be adopted to identify the
problems and to carry out the improvement programme
•Tree canopy manipulation through biological means such as
goat grazing, optimizing tree density and spacing in plantation
•Standardization of lopping intensity, frequency and seasonality
•Development of appropriate planting technology and design in
line with local ecological and socio-economic conditions
•Identifying /developing a diversity of tree species that can
be planted by the local farmer
•Development of appropriate PHT for fodder, considering local
socio economic conditions