Effect of lopping on growth and forage production in shisham based silvipastoral system in eastern Uttar Pradesh in India

Abstract

The production of food items from livestock with an intensive agriculture practices is the most important enterprise to meet out our basic needs. Country has world’s 18 % livestock population. So that in India, many scientists and institutes are familiar with continuous increase in the demand of dry and green fodder (million tonnes) up to 2050. Therefore silvo-pastoral systems, by introducing trees and grass/crop components under trees into natural pasture and degraded lands are important to provide nutritious green fodder throughout the year for higher livestock production. In this article study the effect of shisham based silvipastoral system on yield of forage crop and their nutrient status. Here we focused on effect of Dalbergia sissoo based silvipastoral system on stress tolerant perennial grasses viz., Pennisetum purpureum, Brachiaria mutica and Panicum maximum during 2011-2012 the year of experiment. The forage yield for three grasses planted in combination with Dalbergia sissoo trees. Across different lopping intensities, the annual green fodder yield for Pennisetum purpureum grass was maximum, followed by Brachiaria mutica. The yield was found minimum for Panicum maximum. There was a seasonal herbage yield of all three grasses along increasing lopping intensities.