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Agronomy
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Recent Advancements and Improved Practices in Forage Production and Conservation...
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Recent Advancements and Improved Practices in Forage Production and Conservation to Achieve Input Efficiency, Climate Resiliency, and Animal Health

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 5591

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rakesh Kumar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Agronomy, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal 132001, India
Interests: forage quality; forage agronomy; nutrient management; conservation agriculture; cropping systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forage crops’ production and conservation are crucial components of the modern-day livestock production system. However, forage production today faces numerous challenges ranging from shrinking agricultural land to climate change pressure and inadequate input use efficiency to biotic and abiotic stresses. Innovations and persistent research efforts are necessary to address those issues and sustain the animal production system. Coping with these challenges, this Special Issue on forage is initiated which will address issues such as:

  • Improved technologies and management practices to enhance productivity and quality of forages;
  • Achievement of higher input use efficiency in forage production;
  • Exploration of the potential for less explored forage crops suitable for marginal lands;
  • Impact and mitigation of climate change effects on forages;
  • Post-harvest processing and storage of forages;
  • Carbon sequestration in forage production systems;
  • Crop modeling in forage production systems.

We are hopeful that this Special Issue will address and provide significant new insights into modern challenges and opportunities in forage production, management, and preservation.  

Dr. Rakesh Kumar
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • forage
  • fodder
  • climate change
  • sustainability
  • nutrient management
  • fodder quality
  • yield
  • productivity
  • abiotic stress
  • biotic stress
  • cropping system
  • resource use efficiency

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2078 KiB  
Article
Potential Use of Wheat Straw, Grape Pomace, Olive Mill Wastewater and Cheese Whey in Mixed Formulations for Silage Production
by Angela Gabriella D’Alessandro, Roberta Savina Dibenedetto, Ioannis Skoufos and Giovanni Martemucci
Agronomy 2023, 13(9), 2323; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13092323 - 5 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 958
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to investigate the chemical and fermentative characteristics of by-product-mixed silages consisting of wheat straw (WS), grape pomace (GP), olive mill wastewater (OMWW) and cheese whey (CW) at 7, 30 and 90 days. The silage formulations were based on a [...] Read more.
Two experiments were conducted to investigate the chemical and fermentative characteristics of by-product-mixed silages consisting of wheat straw (WS), grape pomace (GP), olive mill wastewater (OMWW) and cheese whey (CW) at 7, 30 and 90 days. The silage formulations were based on a ratio of 60% solids (WS + GP) and 40% liquids (CW + OMWW), with the addition of water (W) where necessary to achieve 40% of liquids. In experiment 1, the effects of the inclusion of GP or CW in a mixture of WS and OMWW were studied according to two silage formulations: SIL-A, WS40% + OMWW5% + GP20% + W35%; SIL-B, WS60% + OMWW5% + CW35%. In experiment 2, the effects of two levels of CW and the inclusion of OMWW in mixed silages based on WS, GP, and CW were studied according to four silage formulations: SIL-C, WS40% + GP20% + CW20% + W20%; SIL-D, WS40% + GP20% + CW20% + OMWW5% + W15%; SIL-E, WS40% + GP20% + CW35% + W5%; SIL-F, WS40% + GP20% + CW35% + OMWW5%. In experiment 1, the silage formulation affected the chemical composition showing a greater (p < 0.05) content of DM in SIL-B; crude protein, ether extract and ADL contents were higher (p < 0.05) in SIL-A. In experiment 2, no differences (p > 0.05) in the chemical characteristics of the silages were found. In both of the experiments, the chemical composition and total phenol content did not change (p > 0.05) during the ensiling period. Fermentative characteristics were not affected (p > 0.05) by the by-product combination nor the ensiling period and proved to be adequate for good-quality silages. The Flieg’s scores at D30 and D90 were greater than a 100 score in all the experimental silages, leading to the conclusion that WS, GP, OMWW and CW can be effective for producing silage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advancements and Improved Practices in Forage Production and Conservation to Achieve Input Efficiency, Climate Resiliency, and Animal Health)
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15 pages, 2256 KiB  
Article
Quantitative and Qualitative Response of Fodder Maize to Use of Bulk and Nano-fertilizers in North Western Plains of India
by Suryakanta Kashyap, Rakesh Kumar, Hardev Ram, Ashwani Kumar, Nirmalendu Basak, Parvender Sheoran, Subhradip Bhatacharjee, Bisworanjita Biswal, Ghous Ali, Birendra Kumar, Kanika Bhakuni, Phool Singh Hindoriya, Birbal and Doohong Min
Agronomy 2023, 13(7), 1889; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13071889 - 17 Jul 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1996
Abstract
Optimizing nutrient management strategies is crucial for enhancing the growth, yield, and nutritional quality of fodder maize (Zea mays) while minimizing environmental impacts. This study investigated the effects of innovative nitrogen (N) and zinc (Zn) management approaches on fodder maize production. [...] Read more.
Optimizing nutrient management strategies is crucial for enhancing the growth, yield, and nutritional quality of fodder maize (Zea mays) while minimizing environmental impacts. This study investigated the effects of innovative nitrogen (N) and zinc (Zn) management approaches on fodder maize production. Different combinations of nitrogen fertilizers, including conventional urea and nano-urea, were applied in conjunction with targeted foliar sprays of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) and nano-zinc. The experiment was carried out in a Factorial Randomized Block design with four nitrogen management strategies (control N, 100% recommended nitrogen dose RDN through urea, 50% RDN through urea + two sprays of nano-urea at six and ten leaves stages, and 33.33% RDN through urea + two sprays of nano-urea at six and ten leaves stage) and four zinc management strategies (control Zn, soil application of ZnSO4, foliar application of ZnSO4, and foliar application of nano-Zn) which were replicated thrice. The study revealed that applying 50% of RDN through urea, along with dual foliar sprays of nano-urea, achieved comparable productivity to the 100% RDN through urea only. Among the Zn managements, both foliar and soil applications of conventional ZnSO4 recorded similar green and dry fodder yields, although foliar application of ZnSO4 was observed to be superior in terms of qualitative attributes. Maize subjected to the integrated nitrogen and zinc management strategy exhibited elevated protein content and reduced fiber fractions. These findings highlight the potential of nano-urea and foliar zinc application in enhancing both productivity and nutritional quality, while reducing dependence on conventional chemical fertilizers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advancements and Improved Practices in Forage Production and Conservation to Achieve Input Efficiency, Climate Resiliency, and Animal Health)
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21 pages, 3114 KiB  
Article
Energy Budgeting and Carbon Footprints Estimation of Fodder Maize Varieties Sown under Different Nutrient Management Practices in Indo-Gangetic Plains of India
by Dinesh Kumar, Magan Singh, Sanjeev Kumar, Rajesh Kumar Meena, Rakesh Kumar, Malu Ram Yadav, Manish Kushwaha, Govind Makarana, Subhradip Bhattacharjee, Suryakanta Kashyap, Bisworanjita Biswal, Rajesh and Parveen Kumar
Agronomy 2023, 13(4), 981; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13040981 - 26 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1960
Abstract
Inappropriate agricultural practices consume more input energy and emit higher greenhouse gases (GHGs) which cause global warming and climate change, thereby threatening environmental sustainability. To identify energy and carbon-efficient varieties and nutrient management practices, the present study was undertaken during the kharif season [...] Read more.
Inappropriate agricultural practices consume more input energy and emit higher greenhouse gases (GHGs) which cause global warming and climate change, thereby threatening environmental sustainability. To identify energy and carbon-efficient varieties and nutrient management practices, the present study was undertaken during the kharif season of 2018 and 2019 in a split-plot design with three varieties of fodder maize (African Tall, J-1006 and P-3396) and four nutrient management practices such as N0: Absolute control, N1: 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), N2: 75% RDF + plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) + Panchagavya spray and N3: 50% RDF + 25% farmyard manure (FYM) + PGPR + Panchagavya spray). Results indicated that variety J-1006 and applying 75% RDF + PGPR + Panchagavya spray produced significantly higher dry fodder yield. Among the varieties, J-1006 recorded the highest total energy output (224,123 MJ ha−1), net energy (211,280 MJ ha−1), energy use efficiency (17.64), energy productivity (0.98 kg MJ−1), energy profitability (16.64), and lowest specific energy (1.03 MJ ha−1). Regarding nutrient management, 75% RDF + PGPR + Panchagavya spray fetched the highest total energy output (229,470 MJ ha−1) and net energy (215,482 MJ ha−1). However, energy use efficiency, energy productivity, and energy profitability were significantly higher with integrated nutrient management (N2 and N3) over 100% RDF. Concerning the carbon estimation, J-1006 resulted in a significantly higher carbon output (5479 kg CE ha−1), net carbon gain (5029 kg CE ha−1), carbon efficiency (12.46), carbon sustainability index (11.46), and significantly lower carbon footprint per unit yield (CFy) (131.3 kg CO2-e Mg−1). For nutrient management, the application of 75% RDF + PGPR + Panchagavya spray showed significantly higher carbon output (5609 kg CE ha−1) and net carbon gain (5112 kg CE ha−1). However, significantly higher carbon efficiency, carbon sustainability index, and lower CFy were reported with integrated nutrient management over 100% RDF. Overall, selecting the J-1006 variety and applying 75% RDF + PGPR + Panchagavya spray for fodder maize cultivation could be the most productive in terms of dry fodder production, energy, and carbon efficiency approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advancements and Improved Practices in Forage Production and Conservation to Achieve Input Efficiency, Climate Resiliency, and Animal Health)
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