It’s a well-accepted reality that feeding dairy animals is absolutely incomplete without incorporating green food in their diet schedule.Feeding is the most important factor in successful livestock farming. However, the foremost stipulations in yield of green fodder are limited land dimension for fodder cultivation, lack of water, more labor requisite, non-accessibility of same quality green food throughout the year, necessity of fertilizer or manure and natural disasters. As a substitute to the traditional procedure of green fodder creation, alfaculture- the hydroponic technology for livestock fodder production is available.
Different kinds of fodder such as cow pea, wheat, maize, etc. can be grown via hydroponic technology. The produce of the hydroponic green fodder is greatly influenced by the quality and type of seed, purity and hygienic state of the green house. Hydroponic fodders are more wholesome compared to the traditional green fodder. In the circumstances where fodders can’t be cultivated, farmers can yield hydroponic green fodders for their livestock.
Though the hydroponic technique is not new to the world, it has started to notice a renaissance globally as water & growing problems turns out to be more widespread. With several regions of the globe experiencing record drought and water becoming more of a worry for a lot of individuals and businesses that own & raise farm animals, looking for options’ & solutions to retain the wellbeing and development of their animals could be a challenge.
As a sustainable solution to excessive droughts, many commercial organizations have been built up. These organizations provide large-scale systems that are capable of producing many tons of hydroponic fodder per day and provide new alternatives for ranchers’ & livestock producers. Not only hydroponic fodder methods use less water compared to field hay, but they provide several other benefits, comprising a higher yield through improved nutritional value.
While looking for starting a farmstead or beginning to domesticate livestock for personal use or as a business venture, the nutritional requirements of the animals being domesticated will become a crucial issue in the workload & expenditure of a business. Feed accessibility, price and quality are all permanent concerns. Other problems of livestock care could be decreased, with proper supplementation and nutrition at the front.
One can offer an excellent source of nourishment to a wide array of livestock and have the capability to locally obtain an on-demand feedstock through alfaculture- a method of growing fodder hydroponically.
Alfaculture - Agriculture & Food security 