Agronomic research on forages in India: An overview

The productivity of livestock and growth of animal husbandry are closely linked with the biomass and quality of forages. Forages covers a vast array of species in cultivated and range grasses and legumes. Currently there has been radical change in realising the importance of forages in integrated farming system, crop diversification, watershed management, restoration of degraded lands and climate resilient agriculture. Adequate attention to forages was given in XI Five year plan and is being more vigorously pursued in XII Plan through feed and fodder platform research. The gap in feed and forage supply can effectively be reduced through suitable agronomic management options. Efficient forage production strategy involves dynamic systems of soil-plant-animal in such a way that it ensures ecological sustainability, high level of productivity and economic viability. Due to multiplicity vis-àvis region and season specific nature of forages, their agronomy has to be site specific. Systematic research on forage agronomy with its historical perspective of institutional background has been elucidated in this review. The review covers key issues of agronomic research on forages viz., seeding technology, cropping systems, nutrient management, water management, weed management, cutting and harvesting management, forages for alternate land use, problem soils, farming system and new niches of forage production in different agro-climatic regions. Emphasis has been given briefly to narrate the progress of research on forage agronomy through decades in India.