Nutritional Values and Economics of Leguminous Blocks as Goat Feed

Rearing of ruminant animals i.e. sheep and goats, especially is hampered by the seasonal availability of good quality and quantity of feeds such that during the dry season months, the little available forage is of low quality. The consequences are weight loss, low birth weight, low resistance to disease and reduced animal performance (Fajemisin et al., 2010). One potential way for increasing the quality and availability of feeds for smallholder ruminant animals in the dry season may be through the use of fodder trees and shrub legumes. Leaf protein sources obtained in leaf vegetables, legume trees, fodder trees and shrubs as feed resources to all classes of livestock offer tremendous potentials (Aye and Adegun, 2013). As foliage of leguminous trees and bushes are a major source of protein for feeding goats, they are components of pasture and grazing lands. The leaf biomass from the trees and bushes is abundant during the wet season, but the quantity and quality of green biomass declines as the dry season progresses. It can be preserved in the form of leaf meals and by pressing into blocks/briquettes with/without incorporating other concentrate feed ingredients. Keeping quality can be increased and a market value can be obtained. These legume blocks could be fed to small ruminants like sheep and goats as protein supplements would improve the nutritive value of the low quality diets and supply main nutrients to goats as possible alternatives for farmers during the dry season. The main justification for using feed blocks to provide deficient nutrients is the convenience for packaging, storage, transport and ease of feeding. Information on simple method of legume blocks production, the benefits of incorporating various ingredients, minerals, additives in the blocks and nutritive values of legume blocks over the years of storage as a feed is not available under local conditions. The present study was carried out with an objective of determining the nutritive values and keeping quality of legume blocks prepared with different ingredients using simple technology as goat feed

Effect of Planting Methods and Forage Crop Combinations on Fodder Productivity through Moisture Conservation

Out of 140.02 million ha cultivated area of the country, 76.76 million ha (54.82 %) is rainfed having soils with poor fertility and numerous physiochemical constraints. The productivity of animals is very low because of shortage of green fodder during most of the years. The poor feed quality and dry season feed shortage are the serious limitations for livestock production in rainfed areas & farmers maintain a large herd of animals to compensate for the low productivity of the livestock, which adds to the pressure on land and fodder resources (Pathak, 2005). Western Maharashtra region suffers from very low rainfall with uncertainty and ill distribution. Occurrence of drought noticed once in three years. The water scarcity and delayed monsoon are major problems of crop production. The efforts needed to increase production through suitable agro forestry system fit to the land, climate and resources. Incorporation of trees and bushes particularly of fodder values in agricultural production system through a systematic manner will help in providing sufficient fodder to the farmers without affecting arable crop yields (Deb Roy, 1994). Cenchrus ciliaris and Dichanthium anulatum are potential fast growing range grasses and having good regeneration capacity and can withstand moisture stress for fairly long time. Desmanthus, Siratro and Stylosanthes are legume fodder species which give nutritious fodder and could be grown under rainfed situations. Grasses and legume contributed to binding and soil stabilization due to their extensive root system. The overall impact of the soil conservation measures and pastoral systems resulted in increased infiltration rate, reduced soil loss and increased water stable aggregates. Therefore high productive, more palatable, perennial and persistent legumes like Stylosanthes and Desmanthus are thought to be the best suitable to overcome protein deficiency. Keeping the above points in view, the present study was undertaken to develop appropriate fodder production technology under rainfed conditions through moisture conservation

Nutrient Status of Soil and Farm Yard Manure (FYM) under Different Agro-Climatic Regions of Maharashtra

Aim: To gain maximum crop production from a unit area, soil health is one of the major components. It is determined based on the nutritional availability and other parameters like pH, EC, organic carbon, etc. The reports on soil nutrients help farmers in fertilizer application to optimize the yields. The values of these parameters vary from region, soil type, agro-climatic zones, crop, etc. To maintain soil fertility application of organic source of fertilizer such as, FYM plays an important role. It is not only a good source of nutrients but also increases water-holding capacity, soil organic matter, soil physical properties, etc. The study was conducted with an objective to assess nutrient status of soil and FYM from various agro-climatic regions of Maharashtra.  Methodology: Maharashtra state is divided into nine different agro-climatic regions. The study was conducted to understand the region-wise variability in the nutritional composition of both soil and FYM in Maharashtra during the year 2020-21.  Samples of soils and dried FYM were collected from farmer’s fields from five agro-climatic regions of Maharashtra i.e., Western Maharashtra, Northern Maharashtra, Marathwada, Vidharbha, and Konkan. The samples were analyzed for various parameters at BAL-Chemical laboratory, BAIF Central Research Station, Urulikanchan. Results: The analysis reports of soil samples revealed that soils of the Western Maharashtra region showed maximum values for N, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn whereas, soil samples from the Vidharbha region were having high values for P and K content as compared to other regions. The soil samples from the Konkan region showed low nutrients availability than other regions. The soil pH of different agro-climatic regions ranged from 6.3 to 9.0. Similarly, FYM samples of the Western Maharashtra region showed maximum values for N, P, K, Fe, Mn, and Zn content whereas, samples of the Marathwada region were comparatively low in all nutrients and organic carbon content. PCA biplot of macro and micro elements of soil and FYM nutrients revealed geographical/spatial structuring based on nutrient content

Adaptive Cruise Controlled Collision Warning With Brake Support

In this project we focus on preventing accident due to collision using IR sensor, receiver and transmitter circuit. If there is any obstacle in the path, the IR sensor senses the obstacle and giving the control signal to the breaking system. This system can be equipped in any modern vehicle. This system is useful mainly on highways to prevent accidental collision and protect the occupants

Adaptive Cruise Controlled Collision Warning with Brake Support

In this project we focus on preventing accident due to collision using IR sensor, receiver and transmitter circuit. If there is any obstacle in the path, the IR sensor senses the obstacle and giving the control signal to the breaking system. This system can be equipped in any modern vehicle. This system is useful mainly on highways to prevent accidental collision and protect the occupants

Paracrine signalling by cardiac calcitonin controls atrial fibrogenesis and arrhythmia

Atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is an important contributor to mortality and morbidity, and particularly to the risk of stroke in humans1. Atrial-tissue fibrosis is a central pathophysiological feature of atrial fibrillation that also hampers its treatment; the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood and warrant investigation given the inadequacy of present therapies2. Here we show that calcitonin, a hormone product of the thyroid gland involved in bone metabolism3, is also produced by atrial cardiomyocytes in substantial quantities and acts as a paracrine signal that affects neighbouring collagen-producing fibroblasts to control their proliferation and secretion of extracellular matrix proteins. Global disruption of calcitonin receptor signalling in mice causes atrial fibrosis and increases susceptibility to atrial fibrillation. In mice in which liver kinase B1 is knocked down specifically in the atria, atrial-specific knockdown of calcitonin promotes atrial fibrosis and increases and prolongs spontaneous episodes of atrial fibrillation, whereas atrial-specific overexpression of calcitonin prevents both atrial fibrosis and fibrillation. Human patients with persistent atrial fibrillation show sixfold lower levels of myocardial calcitonin compared to control individuals with normal heart rhythm, with loss of calcitonin receptors in the fibroblast membrane. Although transcriptome analysis of human atrial fibroblasts reveals little change after exposure to calcitonin, proteomic analysis shows extensive alterations in extracellular matrix proteins and pathways related to fibrogenesis, infection and immune responses, and transcriptional regulation. Strategies to restore disrupted myocardial calcitonin signalling thus may offer therapeutic avenues for patients with atrial fibrillation