Dactylis glomerata L. (Cock’s Foot/Orchard Grass): A Potential Temperate Forage Grass for Cultivation in North Western Himalaya

Abstract

Animal husbandry is the primary occupation of people inhabiting Himalayan regions, but the forage cultivation has remained almost neglected and restricted to the lower Hills. The majority of the fodder (62%) is extracted from forests (tree, shrub, leaves and herbaceous ground flora) and remaining (38%) is derived from agroforestry systems, low altitude grasslands, degraded lands, high altitude grasslands and crop residues. The unabated exploitation of natural resources of the Himalayas like reckless cutting of trees, indiscriminate use of grazing areas and absence of rehabilitation programmes has led to denudation of hill slopes, which has resulted in critically low biomass availability and adverse effects on livestock productivity. Exploration of alternatives such as cultivation of hardy perennial temperate forage grasses like Dactylis glomerata on a range of landforms like within tree-based systems to fallow and sloppy lands etc provide opportunities for forage resource augmentation in the region. Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.) is one of the most commonly used forage species and has become naturalized in nearly every continent. It has been recognized as an excellent hay, pasture, and silage crop. The present paper discusses the potential and opportunities of Dactylis glomerata in Northwestern Himalayan region vis-à-vis fodder resource augmentation.