Enhancing fodder biomass and mitigating climate change in Central India’s semi-arid zones through silvipastures

Authors

  • R. V. Kumar ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284003, India
  • Kamini Gautam ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284003, India
  • Sunil Kumar ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284003, India
  • A. K. Singh ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284003, India
  • Avijit Ghosh ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284003, India
  • A. K. Roy ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284003, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59515/rma.2024.v45.i2.01

Keywords:

Silvipasture, fodder security, Carbon sequestration, oxygen released, degraded landscapes, semiarid India

Abstract

Fodder production, biomass carbon storage and the oxygen release potentials of the silvipasture system consisting of Acacia nilotica, Ficus infectoria, Morus alba and Leucaena leucocephala integrated with grass species Megathyrsus maximus and Chrysopogon fulvus along with fodder legume Stylosanthes seabrana were evaluated. Among trees/shrubs, at the age of 12 years, F. infectoria yielded (Mg ha-1) highest green fodder (5.72) followed by L. leucocephala (5.01), A. nilotica (3.93) and M. alba (2.87). Among pasture species, M. maximus yielded (Mg ha-1) the highest green fodder (31.13), followed by C. fulvus (22.10) and legume S. seabrana (4.75). The system stored 7.51 to 20.80 Mg C ha-1 in its biomass, amounting to 27.56 to 76.34 Mg ha-1of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) and besides this, the system also released 20.05 to 55.54 Mg ha-1 of oxygen under various tree/shrub+ grass/legume combinations. Thus, silvipasture systems with F. infectoria + M. maximus (fodder: 36.85 Mg/ha; carbon stock: 13.61 Mg C ha-1; oxygen released: 36.34 Mg ha-1); A. nilotica + M. maximus (fodder: 35.06 Mg ha-1; carbon stock: 18.66 Mg C ha-1; oxygen released:49.82 Mg ha-1); F. infectoria + C. fulvus (fodder: 27.82 Mg ha-1; carbon stock: 13.78 Mg C ha-1; oxygen released:36.79 Mg ha-1) and A. nilotica + C. fulvus (fodder: 26.03 Mg ha-1; carbon stock: 20.80 Mg C ha-1; oxygen released: 55.54 Mg ha-1) are ideal system for fodder as well as environmental security in degraded lands of semi-arid India.

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Author Biographies

R. V. Kumar, ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284003, India

Principal Scientist

Sunil Kumar, ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284003, India

Principal Scientist

A. K. Singh, ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284003, India

Scientist

A. K. Roy , ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284003, India

Ex-Principal Scientist

Uploaded

30-12-2024
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How to Cite

Kumar, R. V., Gautam, K., Kumar, S., Singh, A. K., Ghosh, A., & Roy , A. K. (2024). Enhancing fodder biomass and mitigating climate change in Central India’s semi-arid zones through silvipastures. Range Management and Agroforestry, 45(02), 189–196. https://doi.org/10.59515/rma.2024.v45.i2.01

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Section

Research article