AZOLLA PRODUCTION AS A FEED SUPPLEMENT: AN INNOVATION BY KVK
Krishi Vigyan Kendra ,Babhaleshwar has developed a demonstration unit to grow azolla, which is useful for dairy farmers. It has been well established that azolla is an ideal feed substitute. Azolla has 50-60% protein on dry weight basis, rich in almost all essential amino acids, vitamin A, vitamin B-complex, beta-carotene and minerals viz. Calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, copper and magnesium
Useful materials:
Silpauline sheets of 150 gcm, sieved fertile soil, vermicompost, poultry manure cowdung, powdered rock phosphate, culture of azolla and micronutrients.
Production technique:
In this method, an artificial pond is dig in soil up to 9 inch depth and bottom of bed is made even similarly remove small stones. Silpauline sheets of 2.6m by 1.6m is used to grow azolla. About 10-15kg of sieved fertile soil is uniformly spread over the sheet. One kg of two days old cowdung mixed in 10 litres of water is poured over it. Powdered rock phosphate or super phosphate should be added along with the cowdung slurry at a rate of 10-20g per pit. Water should be poured into the pond to a depth of 10cm. Then 0.5-1 kg of pure culture of azolla is inoculated in the pond .For improving mineral content in azolla 20 gm micro nutrient should be added. In about 10-15 days, azolla will fill up the pond, and daily 0.5-1 kg fresh azolla can be harvested there after. About 10g of super phosphate or rock phosphate and 500g of cow dung should be added once every five days to keep azolla in rapid multiplication phase and to maintain a production of one kg per pond every day. Then after at weekly intervals Micronutrient mixture should be added to the Azolla pond to enhance the mineral content of azolla.
Care
of Azolla:
Care should be taken to retain the temperature below 250c.
Shade nets can be used to cut the light intensity.
The azolla biomass should be removed daily to avoid over cowdung.
The pH of the pond should be maintained between 5.5 and 7.0.
After harvesting, the fresh azolla should be washed thoroughly to remove cow dung smell. Washing in a net will be useful as it will allow small plantlets to get out, and they can be poured back in to the pond.
The cleaned azolla can be mixed with equal quantity of commercial feed and the mixture can be directly fed to cross bred cows ,buffalos and azolla can be mixed in the feed of poultry and piggery.
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Krishi Vigyan Kendra Babhaleshwar
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