Course Director

Dr Satish Kulkarni

Head, SRS of NDRI

Course Co-Director

Dr Mukund A. Kataktalware

Scientist (Senior Scale)

Dr S. Jeyakumar

Senior Scientist

Dr K.P. Ramesha

Principal Scientist

Edited and Compiled by

Dr. Mukund A. Kataktalware

Dr. S. Jeyakumar

Dr. K.P. Ramesha

Dr. Satish Kulkarni

Compendium

of

Model Training Course

Management Strategies for Sustainable Livestock Production

against Impending Climate Changes

Sponsored by

Directorate of Extension, Department of Agriculture and Co-operation,

Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India, New Delhi

Southern Regional Station

National Dairy Research Institute

Adugodi, Bengaluru - 560 030. Karnataka Tel: +91-80-25710661-64

Fax : +91-80-25710161. Website: http://www.ndri.res.in

Published by

Head

Southern Regional Station

National Dairy Research Institute

Adugodi, Bengaluru - 560 030.

Copyright © 2013, SRS of NDRI, Bengaluru- 560 030 (India)

All Rights Reserved. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any from or by any means,electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher.

DisclaimerNo responsibility is assumed by the Course Director and Course Co-Directors for the statement made by the authors

in this compendium.

MTC on Management Strategies for Sustainable Livestock Production against Impending Climate Changes

70

Hydroponics Fodder Production: An Alternative Technology for Sustainable Livestock

Production against Impeding Climate Change

P.K. Naik and N.P. Singh

ICAR Research Complex for Goa,

Old Goa, Goa-403 402

In India, livestock plays an important role for the nutritional security, particularly of the small and marginal

farmers. The livestock population of the country is 529.70 million including 199.08 million (37.59%) cattle,

105.34 million (19.89%) buffaloes, 71.56 million (13.51%) sheep and 140.54 million (26.54%) goats. The

growth rate during last 56 years (1951-2007) shows increasing trend in cattle (28.19%), buffaloes (142.72%),

sheep (83.02%) and goat (197.76%) and the overall growth rate in livestock is 80.91% (GoI, 2010). The

increase in the livestock population along with the intensive rearing system has resulted in the increase demands

for feeds and fodder in the country. The feed scarcity has been the main limiting factor in improving the

livestock productivity (Brithal and Jha, 2005). The land allocation for cultivation of green fodder is limited to

only 5% of the gross cropped area; but by 2020, India would require a total 526, 855 and 56 million tons of dry

matter, green fodder and concentrates (Dikshit and Brithal, 2010).

The productive and reproductive efficiency of the livestock is adversely affected due o the unavailability of

good quality green fodder. Besides the unavailability of land, more labour requirement for cultivation (sowing,

earthing up, weeding, harvesting etc.), more growth time, non-availability of same quality round the year,

requirement of manure and fertilizer; the uncertain rain fall, water scarcity and natural calamities due to climate

change are the major constraints for green fodder production by the livestock farmers. Due to the above

constraints of the conventional method of fodder cultivation, hydroponics technology is coming up as an

alternative to grow fodder for farm animals (Naik et al., 2011; Naik, 2012; Naik et al., 2013a). Further,

hydroponics technology for fodder production will be very effective for rearing small ruminants (sheep and

goats) as these animals have lesser dry matter requirement and are being shifted from extensive to intensive

rearing system.

Hydroponics technology for fodder production

The word hydroponics has been derived from the Greek word ‘water working’. Hydro means ‘water’ and ponic

means ‘working’ and it is a technology of sprouting grains or growing plants without soil, but only with water or

nutrient rich solution. However, hydroponics fodder can be well produced with the use of fresh water only and

the use of nutrient rich solution is not obligatory. The added expenses of the nutrient solution also do not justify

its use rather than the fresh water, unless there is significant improvement in the feeding value of the

hydroponics fodder due to the use of the nutrient solution. The metabolism of the nutrient reserves of the seeds

is enough to fuels the growth of the fodder plant for a short duration. The water used for sprouting of grains

should be clean and free from chemical agents as the major source of microbial contamination is water. Fodder

crops produced by hydroponics technology are also known as hydroponics fodder, sprouted fodder or sprouted

grain. Sprouting of the grains is made inside a greenhouse within a short period of approximately seven days. A

greenhouse is a framed or inflated structure covered with a transparent or translucent material in which the crops

could be grown under the conditions at least partially controlled environment and which is large enough to

permit a person to work within it to carry out cultural operations (Chandra and Gupta, 2003).

Earlier, it was perceived that hydroponics fodder can only be grown in hi-tech greenhouse, which is very much

costly. The hi-tech hydroponics fodder production unit of ICAR Research Complex for Goa, Old Goa is being

visited by many farmers and officials from all over the country. Although, the production of fodder by the

hydroponics technology is impressive; but the only constraint was the high cost of the structure and hence there

was a need for a low cost device to produce hydroponics fodder. Finally, ICAR Research Complex for Goa, Old

Goa and Govind Milk and Milk Products Pvt. Ltd., Phaltan, Satara, Maharastra, played major roles in

facilitating the farmers of the Satara district of Maharashtra in developing low cost devices (greenhouses) for

production of hydroponics fodder.

MTC on Management Strategies for Sustainable Livestock Production against Impending Climate Changes

71

(i) Hi-tech greenhouse: This type of greenhouse is highly advanced, fully automatic and costly. The requirement

for water, light, temperature and humidity is maintained by water fogging or sprinkling and tube lights,

controlled automatically through the sensors of the control unit. To save water, provision for recycling of water

is made inside the greenhouse with water tank and pump facility. The hi-tech greenhouse may be with or

without air conditioner. Even if manufactured in India, the cost of a hi-tech greenhouse without air conditioner

and with daily production potential of about 600 kg hydroponics maize fodder is approximately Rs. 15 lakhs.

Although all types of fodder crops can be grown in the hi-tech greenhouse, the routine operational cost is more,

particularly for growing rabi type of crops (barley, oat, wheat etc.) due to requirement of air conditioner in the

hydroponics system to maintain cold and dry environment.

Fig. 1. Hi-tech greenhouse for production of hydroponics fodder

(ii) Low cost device: Hydroponics fodder can be produced in low cost devices (Naik et al., 2013b). The cost of

this type of structure depends upon the type of construction material; but is significantly lower than the hi-tech

greenhouse. The shade net structure can be constructed with bamboo or wood or MS or GI pipes or brick

masonry. The existing wall of a house can also be used to construct lean-to-shade net greenhouse, which reduces

the cost of fabrication. The irrigation of the hydroponics fodder can be made by micro-sprinklers (manual or

automatic) or a knapsack sprayer at frequent intervals. In shade net structure, the internal environment of the

greenhouse is more influenced by the outside climatic condition and therefore, the types of fodder to be grown

hydroponically depends upon the season and climatic condition of the locality. About 17 farmers of the Satara

district of Maharashtra are producing hydroponics fodder by different types of low cost shade net greenhouse

and feeding to their dairy animals. Besides, about 10 farmers have taken initiation for producing hydroponics

fodder by low cost shade net greenhouse. The cost of the wooden shade net greenhouse with daily production

potential of about 30-350 kg fresh hydroponics fodder was approximately Rs. 6000-50000/-; while the cost of

the MS shade net greenhouse with daily production potential of about 150-750 kg fresh hydroponics fodder was

approximately Rs. 25000-150000/-.

Fig 2. Low cost shade net wooden greenhouse for production of hydroponics fodder

Different types of fodders viz. maize, wheat, cow pea, etc. can be grown by hydroponics technology. However,

the choice of grain for hydroponics technology depends up on the geographical and agro-climatic conditions and

MTC on Management Strategies for Sustainable Livestock Production against Impending Climate Changes

72

easy availability of seeds. In India, maize should be the choice grain for production of hydroponics fodder due

to its easy availability, lower cost, good biomass production and quick growing habit. The grain should be clean,

sound, undamaged or not insect infested, untreated, viable and good quality. For the production of hydroponics

fodder, seeds are soaked in normal water for 4-24 hours, depending upon the type of seeds followed by draining

and placing it in the individual greenhouse trays for growing inside the greenhouse. For maize, 4 hours soaking

in normal water is sufficient. The seed rate (quantity of seeds loaded per unit surface area) also affects the yield

of the hydroponics fodder, which varies with the type of seeds. Hydroponics maize fodder can be well produced

with seed rate of 6.4-7.6 kg/m2 (Naik, 2013a). If seed density is high, there is more chance of microbial

contamination in the root mat, which affects the growth of the fodder. The starting of germination and visibility

of roots varies with the type of seeds. In case of maize and cowpea seeds, germination start on about 2nd

and 1st

day and the roots were clearly visible from 3rd

and 2nd

day onwards, respectively. Maintenance of clean and

hygiene is very much important in the production of hydroponics fodder as greenhouse is highly susceptible to

microbial contamination, particularly of mould growth due to high humidity. Inside the greenhouse, generally

the grains are allowed to sprout for seven days and on day eight, these are fed to the dairy animals.

Advantages of hydroponics technology

The major limitations of the conventional method of fodder cultivations are overcome by the hydroponics

technology. Less land is required as the vertical growing process allows the production of large volume of

hydroponics fodder on a fraction of the area required by conventional cultivation and thus there is high yield in

small area with increase in stocking capacity. Under hydroponics technology, about 600 kg maize fodder can be

produced daily in seven days only in 50 sq. m. area. It is estimated that to produce the same amount of fodder,

about 1 ha land is required. The water requirement in hydroponics technology is very less as water can be

applied and replied continuously. To produce one kg of fresh hydroponics maize fodder (7-d) about 1.5 litre (if

water is reused) to 3 (if water is not reused) liters of water is required (Naik et al., 2013c) against about 30 liters

of water per kg of fresh green fodder grown in laterite soil under conventional practices. However, if water is

not reused the regular drained water of the hydroponics system can be used in a garden near to the unit. Only

one person is sufficient to work in the hydroponics system to produce 600 kg hydroponics maize fodder daily.

Besides, there is no need of costly soil preparation for fodder production, constant weed removal, fencing etc.

There is no post-harvest loss of fodder as seen in the conventional practices as the hydroponics fodder can be

produced as per the daily requirement. There are added advantages of round the year similar high quality fodder

supply to the farm, which are free from antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, or herbicides. Besides, in this

technology, there is no need of fuel for harvesting and post harvesting processes and no damage from insects or

roaming animals, etc. leading to low maintenance requirement. The electricity requirement for the production of

hydroponics fodder is lower than the conventional fodder. In hi-tech greenhouse, about 8-15 units of electricity

are required to produce 600 kg of hydroponics maize fodder daily, which can be reduced significantly in low

cost shade net structure.

Yield and feeding value of the hydroponics fodder

There is increase in fresh weight and decrease in the dry matter content during sprouting of seeds. Yields of 5-6

folds on fresh basis (1 kg seed produces 5-6 kg fodder) and dry matter content of 11-14% are common for

hydroponics maize fodder; however, sometimes dry matter content up to 18% has also been observed (Naik,

2013b). Famers of the Satara district of Maharashtra revealed fresh yield up to 8-10 folds for hydroponics maize

fodder in shade-net greenhouse system. The yield and dry matter content are influenced by many factors, mostly

the type and quality of the seed; degree of drainage of free water prior to weighing; and clean and hygienic

condition of the greenhouse. The hydroponics maize fodder looks like a mat of 20-30cm height consisting of

germinated seeds embedded in their white roots and green shoots. In Goa condition with hi-tech greenhouse, the

cost of production of fresh hydroponics maize fodder is about Rs. 4.-4.50/- per kg (Naik et al., 2012a), in which

the seed cost is about 90-98%. However, farmers of the Satara district of Maharashtra revealed that in low cost

shade net system with home-grown or locally purchased seeds, the cost of production of the hydroponics fodder

is very minimal and reasonable (about Rs.2-3.50/-).

MTC on Management Strategies for Sustainable Livestock Production against Impending Climate Changes

73

The hydroponics fodder is more nutritious than the conventional fodder (Table 1). The nutrient changes during

the growth (sprouting) of hydroponics fodder are increase in the crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), nitrogen

free extract (NFE) and decrease in crude fibre (CF), total ash (TA) and insoluble ash (AIA).

Table 1. Nutrient content of hydroponics maize fodder

Nutrient Maize

Seed

(0 day)

Days of sprouting under hydroponics system Conventional

maize fodder

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

CP* 8.60a 8.88

a 9.14

ab 9.65

b 11.27

d 11.58

d 12.89

e 13.57

f 10.67

c

EE* 2.56abc

2.49ab

2.57abc

2.88bcd

3.08cde

3.06cde

3.21de

3.49e 2.27

a

CF* 2.50a 2.55

a 3.07

a 4.72

b 5.51

c 7.56

d 10.67

e 14.07

f 25.92

g

NFE* 84.49h 84.15

h 82.87

g 79.20

f 77.65

e 74.04

d 69.21

c 66.72

b 51.78

a

TA* 1.57a 1.67

a 1.84

ab 1.92

ab 2.19

bc 2.44

c 3.34

d 3.84

d 9.36

f

AIA* 0.02a 0.03

a 0.08

a 0.09

a 0.13

a 0.14

a 0.24

a 0.33

a 1.40

b

(Naik et al., 2012b.)

Besides, hydroponics fodder has more potential health benefits. Sprouts are the most enzyme rich food on the

planet and the period of greatest enzyme activity is generally between germination and 7 days of age. They are

rich source of anti-oxidants in the form of β-carotene, vitamin-C, E and related trace minerals such as selenium

and Zn. As sprouted grains are rich in enzymes and enzyme-rich feeds are generally alkaline in nature, feeding

of the sprouted grains improve the animals’ productivity by developing a stronger immune system due to

neutralization of the acidic condition. Besides, helping in the elimination of the anti-nutritional factors such as

phytic acid of the grains; sprouted grains are good sources of chlorophyll and contain a grass juice factor that

improves the performance of the livestock. However, the energy content is decreased during sprouting as the

stored energy inside the grain is used and dissipated during the process (Finney, 1982; Cuddeford, 1989; Chavan

and Kadam, 1989; Sneath and Mclntosh, 2003; Shipard, 2005).

The hydroponics fodders have good palatability. The germinated seeds embedded in the root system are also

consumed along with the shoots of the plants, so there is no nutrient wasting. The intake of fresh hydroponics

maize fodder by dairy cows may be up to 25 kg/ animal/ day along with limited concentrate mixture and jowar

straw. Supplementation of the hydroponics fodder in the ration of the dairy cows improves digestibility of

nutrients in dairy cows (Table 2).

Table 2: Effect of supplementation of hydroponics maize fodder on digestibility of nutrients and milk

yield of dairy cows

Parameters Hydroponics Fodder % Increase

(-) (+)

Digestibility (%)

Dry matter 61.15 65.39 6.94

Organic matter 64.19 68.47 6.67

Crude protein* 68.86a 72.46

b 5.23

Ether extract 82.05 87.69 6.88

Crude fiber* 53.25a 59.21

b 11.20

Nitrogen free extract 67.37 70.47 4.61

Nutritive value (%)

CP 12.48 13.29 6.49

DCP* 8.61a 9.65

b 12.08

TDN 64.00 68.52 7.07

Milk yield

Milk yield (kg/ day) 4.08 4.64 13.73

* Means bearing different superscripts in a row differ significantly (P<0.05).

(Naik et al., 2013d)

There are reports of increase in milk yield of 7.8% and 9.3% (FCM yield) (Reddy et al., 1988); 12.5%

(Anonymous, 2012) and 13.73% (Naik et al., 2013d) due to feeding of hydroponics fodder to lactating cows.

The feedback from the farmers of the Satara district of Maharashtra revealed increase in the milk yield by 0.5-

MTC on Management Strategies for Sustainable Livestock Production against Impending Climate Changes

74

2.5 litres per animal per day and net profit by Rs. 25-50/- per animal per day due to feeding of hydroponics

fodder to their dairy animals. Besides, the other advantages observed by the farmers were increase in fat and

SNF content of the milk, improvement in health and conception rate of the dairy animals, reduction in cattle

feed requirement by 25%, increase in taste (sweetness) of the milk, whiter milk, reduction in labour cost,

requirement of less space and water, freshness and high palatability of the hydroponics fodder etc (Naik et al.,

2013b).

Conclusion

Hydroponics fodder is nutritious, palatable and digestible and can be grown in low cost devices with locally

home grown grains. Against impeding climate change, hydroponics fodder production is an effective alternative

technology for sustainable livestock production in different regions of India.

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi; Rashtriya Krishi Vikas

Yojana (RKVY), Govt. of India and Goa State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited, Curti, Ponda, Goa

for providing financial support to conduct the study. Thanks are also due to Govind Milk and Milk Products Pvt.

Ltd., Phaltan, Satara, Maharastra and farmers of the Satara district of Maharashtra for providing valuable

information on the hydroponics technology for fodder production.

Selected references

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