Language: English
Temperate Grasses and Legumes is an outcome of the various trials and experiments carried out at IGFRI RRS, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Concerted multidisciplinary efforts have been accomplished despite shrinking or static cultivation areas. These efforts have led to the development of improved elite lines in temperate fodder crops. These varieties have made significant changes in fodder production scenarios where fodder is fast becoming a component of agribusiness for animal husbandry.
Considering the huge gap between the demand and supply of green nutritious fodder and quality dry matter along with static or decreasing land availability, efforts at various institutes are mainly directed to intensify forage production per unit area per unit time, which can be achieved through improved high yielding varieties and better management practices. These efforts have led to the development of many varieties in different temperate fodder crops, viz. temperate grasses and legumes.
The present book is an effort in this direction to collect, compile, and edit information from various sources related to temperate fodder variety development. Fodder crops pose a unique problem as they are highly area, location and season-specific. In different parts of India different crops are used as fodder crops and often efforts were successful in developing varieties in crops, which are highly location-specific. Compiling all this scattered information in one place is a huge task and has been now been largely accomplished. The availability of green forages from various sources is only 40 per cent of the required quantity. It is a matter of prime concern to bridge this gap. It should also be noted that the area under forage production has not increased considerably in the last few decades and India's natural grazing lands and pastures are fast degrading. Hence, efforts should be directed to intensify forage production per unit area per unit time, which can be achieved through improved high yielding varieties and better management practices and moreover the present book.