Background: Farmers are facing the challenges to providing adequate availability of feed and fodders to livestock during dry period (lean period) which poses a major threat in livestock productivity. This study delineates, pelleting of feed and fodder helps to meet out the fodder requirement during lean period consequently improving the livestock productivity. Methods: The experiment was conducted at Forage Pelleting Unit, Department of Forage Crops in Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu from March 2020 to June 2022 to identify the best suitable dry fodder crops for quality pellets production. The laboratory experiment was conducted and laid out in completely randomized block design with 11 treatments and three replications. The treatment consists of D1: Rice straw, D2: Maize stover, D3: Maize husk, D4: Sorghum straw, D5: Ragi straw, D6: Pearl millet stover, D7: Wheat straw, D8: Groundnut haulms, D9: Groundnut shells, D10: Sugarcane tops, D11: Blackgram husk were selected and produced into individual dry fodders pellets. Then, the selected dry fodders were harvested with the help of fodder harvester cum chaffer. The chaffed material was then dried using a solar drier at 70°C for one day to attaining the ideal moisture of 12%. Then, dried materials were grinded by fodder pulverizer and then grinding material was conveyed through conditioning with passing the steam at 60 to 70°C. Then, the conditioning material was passes through a pelletizer with 6 mm die diameter. Result: The observation on macro minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium) and micro minerals (cobalt, zinc, manganese) were analyzed by using an Inductive Coupled Plasma Mass Emission Spectroscopy. The unpelleted and pelleted dry fodders showed a significant variation in the major and minor nutrients. In this regards, the calcium content recorded higher in groundnut haulms (D8) with 1.027 per cent and whereas ragi straw (D5) were recorded higher magnesium and potassium contents with 0.433 per cent and 2.178 per cent respectively. The minor nutrients like cobalt, manganese and zinc contents varied significantly due to pelleting process. From this study, rice straw (D1) recorded higher cobalt content with 0.378 per cent and whereas, ragi straw (D5) recorded higher zinc content (16.45 per cent) and while, manganese contents were registered higher in pearl millet straw (D6) with 54.88 per cent.

Background: Indian farmers are facing shortage of green and dry fodders to feed their livestock during dry period (lean period) which possess a major hurdle in improving livestock productivity. This study delineates, pelleting of green, dry fodders and concentraes in order to meet out the fodder requirement during winter/lean period, which will in turn consequently improve livestock productivity. Methods: The experiments were conducted at Forage Pelleting Unit, Department of Forage Crops in Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu from December 2020 to June 2022 to identify the best suitable fodder crops for pellets production. Three laboratory experiments laid out in completely randomized block design (CRD) were conducted with three replication. Each experiment of pelletisation had different treatments, viz., experiment I with 13 different categories of green fodder, experiment II with 11 different types of dry fodders and experiment III with 9 types of concentrates. Result: The observation of physical characteristics (colour and odour) and sensory characteristics (mould) were noted at regular intervals from date of pelleting, 60 days after pelleting, 120 days after pelleting and 180 days after pelleting. The mechanical characteristics such as pellet durability index (PDI) was recorded by using a tumbling can apparatus. The PDI was remained steady over the period of time. In case of pellets made from certain fodder sources, the colour was not the same and odour was not favourable when the pellets were kept for longer duration (beyond 120 DAP). Except for the agathi pellets, cumbu stover pellets and sorghum grain pellets, all other feed pellets were mold-free.

Background: This experiment was done to analyze the colchiploids obtained in two bajra napier hybrid genotypes named CO6 and TNCN 1534. Stomatal size is considered as one of the main parameters in analysing the variants developed by colchicine application. Methods: Two methods were adopted for inducing polyploidy BN hybrids. In case of whole immersion method, budded setts were completely immersed in concentrations of 0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15%, 0.20% and 0.25% for 3 and 6 hours duration. In case of the cotton swab method, the nodded setts were covered with a thin layer of cotton and same five concentrations were given continuously for a period of over two days. After transplanting them in the field for 30 days, evaluation of stomatal length and width was done. Result: The stomatal measurements changed with various range of concentrations and the method of application. In the case of whole immersion method, 0.20% and 0.25% concentration for 3 and 6 hours produced variants having largest width and length of stomata and also covered the largest range for mean values. In cotton swab treatment, highest range for stomatal measurements were seen at 0.20% and 0.25% concentrations. The whole immersion method was able to generate a wide range for stomatal length and width as compared to cotton swab method. Hence, it can be deciphered that whole immersion method was more effective than cotton swab method in this study. The highest concentration of 0.25% was the most effective in inducing changes in the treated plants in both the methods. Through this, we were able to identify some putative colchiploids in the study. These screened polyploids were forwarded for further analysis which were then used to identify genotypes having desirable forage and quality parameters.