Suitability of Fodder Trees under Silvopastoral Practices: An On-Farm Study from Adimali Panchayath, Kerala Kerala

Abstract

The research project entitled “Suitability of Fodder Trees under Silvopastoral Practices: An On-Farm Study from Adimali Panchayath, Kerala” was carried out in Adimali Panchayath, Idukki district, Kerala, during 2020–2022. The main objectives were to conduct on-farm trials of silvopastoral practices in selected farmers’ fields and to assess the changes associated with these intercropping systems.  In the on-farm trials of silvopastoral practices, treatments consisted of four fodder tree species—Calliandra, Kadamba, Gliricidia, and Mulberry—planted at a spacing of 45 cm × 45 cm, with a cutting frequency of 12 weeks, in a randomized block design with five replications.  The results revealed that Gliricidia, Calliandra, Mulberry, and Kadamba produced comparable dry fodder yields under farmland conditions. However, Calliandra recorded the highest annual dry forage yield (7.71 Mg ha⁻¹ yr).  Total fresh fodder yield was maximized in Calliandra (29.14 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and Kadamba (28.02 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), which were statistically similar but significantly higher than Gliricidia (18.75 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and Mulberry (13.68 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). These findings clearly demonstrate the superior biomass productivity of Calliandra and Kadamba under this agroclimatic conditions