Azolla (azollapinnata) as a green feed supplement for dairy cattle – an on farm study

Abstract

An on-farm study was carried out to evaluate the effect of Azolla as a green supplement in the diet of dairy cattle. Twenty crossbred dairy cows of 3-5th lactation were randomly distributed to two groups. The first group (n=10) in addition to the regular feeding schedule were supplemented with 40g of area specific mineral mixture (ASMM) and the second group (n=10), in addition to ASMM were fed fresh Azolla @ 2.0 kg/cow/day. The chemical analysis of Azolla showed that it was a good source of protein (21.9%) and most of the minerals. The concentration of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and sulphur were 1.4, 1.1, 0.74 and 0.21% respectively, while those of copper, zinc, iron, manganese, cobalt, and iodine were 22, 31, 755, 130, 4.5 and 32 ppm, respectively, with appreciably higher level of chromium (127 ppb). Milk yield was improved in cows supplemented Azolla (Av. 8.7 vs. 8.3 L/cow/d) with a marginal increase of 4.8%. The milk composition (SNF and Fat) did not differ significantly between both the groups. Feeding fresh Azolla enhanced the milk production resulting in a net profit of Rs. 4.4/cow per day. It is concluded that Azolla can be used as a valuable green feed supplement, particularly under low input livestock production system