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Improving Fodder Productivity of Gochar Lands for Sustainable
Livestock Production and Environment Security
D. C. Joshi (ex.) Principal Scientist
Central Arid Zone Research Institute, JodhpurEmail: [email protected]
In arid region of Rajasthan Crop production is not as remunerative because of climatic and soil
constraints and poor quality of ground water
Climatic constraints Low and erratic rainfall (<100- 400 mm) High evapo-transpiration (1500-2000 mm/ year) High temperatures and strong wind regime Frequent droughts
Soil constraints
Extent of problematic soils in arid Rajasthan• Sand dunes: 4.86 million ha 25.07%• Sandy soils with scattered sand dunes: 5.46 million ha 28% Sandy shallow hard pan soils/ gravelly rocky areas with
thin cover of soils: 1.97 million ha (10%) Salt affected soils :1.64 lakh ha (0.85%) Constraints Sand dune with undulating terrain, prone to wind erosion
Low fertility and water holding capacity Soils vulnerable to degradation with slight mismanagement Productivity of soils governed by low and erratic rainfall Physical constraints like infiltration/ permeability/ surface
crusting
Livestock : Back Bone of Economy
• Arid Rajasthan is endowed with Drought hardy animals, which sustain under harsh climatic conditions and natural vegetation including nutrient rich grasses and top feeds from trees
• Livestock produce milk, meet, wool are economic support to desert dwellers
• Livestock farming increasing at an annual growth rate 4.3% higher than the growth rate of agriculture sector i.e. 2.8%
• Livestock population as per 2012 census • Total 300 lakh : Cattle 61.8 lakh: Buffaloes 39.5 lakh
Sheep 68.8 lakh, Goat 127.9 lakh Came 2.75 lakh.
Source of Fodder • To sustain such large livestock population fodder is made
available from (a) Gochar (grazing land) (b) top feed from trees (c) crop residues, and (d) irrigated fodder
• Cattle: fodder is made available from gochar, top feeds like khejri, bordi and crop residue
• Goat and sheep mainly depend for fodder on grazing in field. • Buffaloes are stall fed• Milking cows and buffaloes: fed Green fodder• To sustain large livestock population for quality and quality
milk, wool and meet products, good fodder in terms of quantity and quality has to be assured
• Among the various sources for fodder, the gochar lands are most promising but grass productivity on these land has deteriorated
Deterioration in Grass productivity of gochar land
Land degradation The gochar/ oran land have been subjected to degradations by one or combined action of wind erosion, water erosion, salinity/alkalinity
Shrinking grazing land: Encroachment near village settlement for construction of public utility structures like roads, school buildings, panchayat office etc. and dig pits in gochars for stones, mud (CaCO3 concretions)
Vegetation degradation: Four decades ago gochar lands supported good stand of Lasiurus sindicus and cenchrus sp. Grass but due to uncontrolled/ over grazing, these palatable grass species have vanished.
Increasing livestock population
Restoration of Grass Productivity of Gochar
Village level committee be formed to implement the programme
Prepare inventory of physical parameters like topography, soils: texture, depth, salinity, vegetation status: grasses, trees, shrubs, herbs, land degradation severity
Prepare land development plan viz. fencing of site from stray animals, preparation field, selection of grass species, and design for rainwater harvesting may be worked out
Restoration of degraded land and environment besides improvement in grass productivity
Protection from stray animals
Four sides should be provided
Ditch and mound fencing (Width1.8 m x Depth 1 m)
Iron/ Wooden Gate and Chowkidar
Field preparation before onset of rains
Remove undesirable/Invasive sp. Prosopis Juliflora etc. Protect desirable shrubs and bushes like Kair, ber, JalField prepared thoroughly with the disking and plowing
After effective rainfall in the month of July seeds of Cenchrus grass are sown @ of 5 kg/ ha
Cenchrus grass seeds are mixed with moist soil 3 to 4 times the volume of seed and drilled uniformly behind the cultivator in contour furrows 60 cm wide and 25 cm deep with 1 to 2 cm cover of soil
For rainwater conservation contour bunds at 10-15 m interval should be created
Sowing Grass seeds
With rains, the grass seeds germinate and within 2-3 months good grass cover is available
Developed Gochar land
Cenchrus species is a perennial grass with 50cm plant height and 25 average number of tillers
It is possible to take 2 to 3 cuttings of grass during September to April
Average dry fodder yield of grass is 4 to 5 tons per ha.
Developed Gochar land
Developed Gochar land
Developed Gochar land