The dry temperate region of Himalayas is characterized by low precipitation, low temperature and high snowfall. In this region generally, all the areas excluding the intensively cultivated one are used as pasture and grasslands. The area is characterized by sloppy desert mountains with crop growing season of 5-6 months (April to September). In the region due to continuous heavy grazing and lack of management indigenous grass species presently represent the third or fourth stage of degradation. In north western Himalayas livestock plays a significant role in sustaining the livelihood of people, but in the region all forage resources are hardly enough to meet the forage requirement of even 40-50 per cent of the existing livestock population. Under this situation the planting of ecologically adaptable improved grasses and forage legumes appears to be a viable preposition to increase the forage production and availability in the region. Keeping in view this, the present study was undertaken to study the comparative performance of improved grasses and legume species under dry temperate climatic conditions