AZOLLA Cultivation TNAU

Hi buddy here I am looking for info related to Tamilnadu Agricultural University (TNAU) Azolla as cattle feed Cultivation, so would you plz tell me about the same??

[pawan]

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore was established in 1971 located at Saidapet, Chennai,

Azolla is a free floating water fern that floats in water and fixes nitrogen in association with the nitrogen fixing blue green algae, Anabaena azollae. Azolla is considered to be a potential biofertilizer in terms of nitrogen contribution to rice. Long before its cultivation as a green manure, Azolla has been used as a fodder for domesticated animals such as pigs and ducks. In recent days, Azolla is very much used as a sustainable feed substitute for livestock especially dairy cattle, poultry, piggery and fish.

Azolla contains 25 35 per cent protein on dry weight basis and rich in essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins and carotenoids including the antioxidant b carotene. Cholorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids are also present in Azolla, while the cyanobiont Anabaena azollae contains cholorophyll a, phycobiliproteins and carotenoids. The rare combination of high nutritive value and rapid biomass production make Azolla a potential and effective feed substitute for live stocks.

Inputs required

Azolla fronds, Polythene sheet, Super phosphate and Cow dung.

Further queries on organic farming can be clarified from the following sources

Professor (Agronomy) & Content Validator (Organic Farming)
of TNAUAGRITECH PORTAL
Department of Agronomy
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
Coimbatore - 641 003
devasenapathy@tnau.ac.in
Phone : 0422-6611246/6611344
Fax : 0422-6611416/2431672
Email : agronomy@tnau.ac.in


Nodal Officer (Organic Farming) & Director
Centre for Soil and Crop Management Studies
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
Coimbatore - 641 003
Telephone: 91- 422- 6611316 / 6611213
FAX : 91- 422- 6611416
Email: directorscms@tnau.ac.in