Development of Small Scale Indoor Hydroponic Fodder Production System

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted to develop a small scale indoor hydroponic fodder production system (May- June 2021). Green fodder supply to the domestic animals is most important factor to improve their health, body weight, milk yield and thus obtaining maximum economic return. Land degradation and urbanisation reduced the area available for the green fodder production. India has 10.7% of world livestock population but only having 2.29% of its land mass and this is putting a huge pressure on land and water resource. Vertical growing of crop and minimising the usage of water is the best solution to solve this problem. Hydroponic technology helps to achieve very high yield and also provides better control over the crop production. Indoor cultivation eliminates the problem of weeds and pests and the use of pesticides and herbicides. Artificial lighting overcomes the disadvantage of seasonal variation of solar radiation and provides continuous source of energy supply. The study shows that green fodder can be efficiently grown at indoor condition. Hydroponic technique helped to achieve yield of 7.535 kg per day with a water requirement of only 4.78 litres per kg. The combination of red and blue LED lights supplied continuous energy for 12 hours a day for the better growth of crop. Results clearly show that the indoor hydroponic fodder production system with artificial supply of light can be recommended for the farmers to meet their fodder requirement.