Fodder Crops

• FODDER CROPS are crops that are cultivated

primarily for animal feed. By extension,
natural grasslands and pastures are included
whether they are cultivated or not.
 Fodder
crops

Temporary Permanent
 Temporary fodder crops
• Temporary crops that are grown intensively
with multiple cuttings per year include three
major groups of fodder:
• 1. Grasses, including cereals that are
harvested green;
• 2. Legumes, including pulses that are
harvested green; and
• 3. Root crops that are cultivated for fodder.
• 4. Trees fodder.
 Permanent Fodder crops
• Permanent fodder crops relate to land used
permanently (for five years or more) for
herbaceous forage crops, either cultivated or
growing wild (i.e. wild prairie or grazing land),
and may include some parts of forest land if it
is used for grazing.
Grass fodder
1. Cowpea / Lobia -
Thattaipayuru / Karamani
•Grown in tropics, sub-tropics and
warm temperature regions. During
kharif , Rabi, and summer season .
it is an Annual crop.
•It is grown for feeding in green
form, for hay making or for ensiling
in mixtures with sorghum or maize

2.Desmanthus- Hedge lucerne /

Velimasal
Desmanthus is a perennial crop.
It is grow throughout the year under
irrigation and during June - October
as a rain fed crop.
Cereal fodder
1. Fodder maize –
Makkacholam
•Maize is mostly grown as KHARIF
crop i.e. sowing in June - July. In south
India it makes best growth in RABI
and also in SUMMER.
•It can be grown throughout the year
with irrigation facility.

2. Fodder sorghum - Cholam /

Jowar
•Sorghum is a drought resistant
annual crop.
•It thrives in tropical climate with a
temperature range of 25-35°C.
Grass Fodder
1. Hybrid Napier - Cumbu
Napier Ottupull / Bajra
Napier Hybrid
This is a perennial grass fodder.
It possesses more tillers and leaves
than Napier grass and is more
vigorous and higher in fodder yield
and quality

2. Guinea grass
It is a tall (1-4.5 m), tufted and fast
growing highly palatable perennial
grass.
It has short creeping rhizome
Tree Fodder
1. Subabul - Soundal
(Koobabul)
•This is fast spreading fodder tree
which produces enormous seeds.
•Suitable season for sowing is June-
July.

2. Glyricidia
•It is a small, semi-deciduous tree with
pale bark.
•Glyricidia sepium and Glyricidia maculata
are the two species available.
•G. maculata is more useful as green leaf
manure. It also fixes atmospheric nitrogen
and thereby improves soil fertility.
•G. sepium tolerates a wide range of
climatic and edaphic conditions.
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