Evaluating the importance of fodder trees to soil nutrition of farming systems in the mid-hills region of Nepal

Abstract

The livelihood of Nepali farmers in mid-hills Nepal is interrelated to forest-livestock-farming system. Farmers go to the forest to take fodder as feed for livestock then the livestock products are used for their consumption and income sources. The fresh manure is utilized as fertilizer for crop farming as farm yard manure (FYM). However, the nutrient relationship among fodder, manure, and farm yard manure has not been clearly understood. In addition, the monetary value of the nutrient of FYM has not been quantified. The aim of this study is to evaluate the importance of fodder trees as a source of soil nutrition. To achieve this, this study has the following objectives: 1) to examine the nutrient status in commonly-used fodder trees, 2) to determine the nutrient status of fresh manure from livestock feeding on different fodder trees, 3) to survey the use and quality of farm yard manure, and 4) to determine the equivalent market value of the nutrients in farm yard manure. This study explains the results of analysis identifying the concentration of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) in four forest fodder species. Additionally, it analyses the nutrient composition (NPK) of the manure of five goats, cows and buffalo feeding on three types of fodder species over a 27 day cycle. Finally, it calculates the monetary value of the nutrients in both fodder and manure. The nutrient content of each fodder species is different for each village and according to livestock type. The nutrient content of fresh manure produced by different fodder types also differed in K concentration (for cows) and in P and K concentrations (for buffalo). This study shows that Quercus is a promising fodder for cows and buffalo, along with Ficus fodder also for buffalo. Furthermore, the P concentration in FYM differed for each village. Lastly, an analysis of the equivalent monetary value of FYM determined that it is five to ten times less than the market value of FYM traded.