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Formulation of area-specific mineral mixture for livestock

Parvaiz Ahmed Reshi

In Kashmir Valley, paddy straw forms the predominant part of fodder available for livestock feeding along with a limited amount of oats and concentrates, causing, therefore, energy, protein, vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Though the deficiencies of energy and protein are rectified by various means, vitamin and mineral deficiencies become more intensified, causing poor production performances in animals and consequently losses to livestock farmers. Moreover, the mineral profile of soils and therefore feeds and fodders grown on such soils vary with topography and therefore is often a region-specific problem, demanding the study of the mineral profile of soils and fodders regionally and production of region-specific mineral mixtures for rectifying such mineral deficiencies in animals.  Further being a hilly region Kashmir valley is geographically different from the rest of the country and mineral mixtures produced elsewhere in the country may not hold good for the valley livestock. Various studies including work carried out by the proposer of this startup have found deficiencies of various macro (Ca, P) and micro (Zn and Cu) minerals in feeds and fodders in various districts of Kashmir valley that necessitate supplementation for optimum production and reproductive performances from animals.

Manufacturing and production of Area Specific Mineral Mixtures (ASMM) to help farmers and entrepreneurs get more production and reproduction performances from livestock and create a meaningful and enduring mineral mixture production technology for the benefit of livestock farmers in Kashmir Valley who by virtue of its topography is geographically different (Hilly temperate) from rest of the country (Tropical) was an uphill and an achievable target. An attempt was made in this direction and a specific mineral mixture based on the mineral profile of soil, composite fodder and blood of the livestock being reared in Ganderbal district was formulated

Baseline study

A baseline study regarding mineral profile of soil, composite fodder and blood mineral profile was conducted in the target area and the data generated was analysed statistically as shown in table 1 to 4

 Table 1: Mineral content of soil in different geographical regions of Ganderbal district (N=125)

  Minerals (ppm)
Critical level (ppm)/Topography Ca

(100)

P

(10)

Mg

(9.1)

Zn

(0.60)

Cu

(0.20)

Fe

(2.0)

 

Hills(60)

% deficiency

Plains(65)

% deficiency

Mean conc.

 

141.50a±4.56

13.33

165.74b±5.79

9.23

154.10±3.86

 

10.71a±0.69

60.0

18.98b±0.82

9.23

15.00±0.66

 

16.49a±0.69

6.67

21.01b±0.71

0.0

18.84±0.53

 

0.84a±0.03

15.0

1.11b±0.07

6.15

0.98±0.04

 

0.63a±0.03

0.00

0.80b±0.04

0.00

0.72±0.02

 

36.66a±1.29

0.00

46.54b±1.37

0.00

41.80±1.04

Overall      %deficiency 11.20 33.60 3.20 10.40 0.00 0.00

Means having different superscripts in a column differ significantly (P≤0.05)

aCritical level=concentration below which the levels are considered as deficient, that is 100 ppm (Jackson, 1973) for calcium,10 ppm (Naskar et al., 2003) for phosphorus,9.1 ppm (McDowell et al., 1983) for magnesium, 0.60 ppm (Takkar and Randhawa, 1978) and (Arora and Sekhon, 1981) for zinc, 0.20 ppm for copper and 2.0 for iron.

 

Table-2: Mineral profile of composite fodder of Ganderbal district (N=125)

Topographical region

 

 

Macro minerals (g %) Macro minerals (ppm)
Ca P Mg Zn Cu Fe
Hills 0.42a±0.02 0.18a±0.01 0.23a±0.00 14.68a±0.57 11.50a±0.37 206.65a ±4.50
Plains 0.90b±0.06 0.29b±0.01 0.25b±0.01 12.49b±0.62 14.47b±0.47 282.77b±6.85
District average 0.67±0.04 0.23 ±0.01 0.24 ±0.00 13.54 ±0.43 13.04 ±0.33 246.23 ±5.37

Means having different superscripts in lower case in columns rows differ significantly (P≤0.05).

CC*= critical blood level as given by Radostitis et al. (2000).

Table-3: Plasma Mineral profile of cattle in district Ganderbal

Minerals (CC*) Topo. Region Physiological status
Milch cows Pregnant cows Dry cows Calves Overall Mean
 

Calcium (%)

(<9.0)

Hills 8.25bc±0.10 8.66c± 0.12 7.97b± 0.18 7.36a±0.22 8.15±0.08
Plains 8.66ab±0.08 9.25c± 0.08 8.35a± 0.13 8.85b±0.25 8.71± 0.07
 

Phosphorus (%)

(<4.0)

Hills 4.34c ±0.08 4.05c± 0.10 3.74b± 0.10 3.24a±0.12 3.99±0.06
Plains 4.53ab±0.07 4.77b± 0.10 4.34a± 0.08 4.47a±0.08 4.52± 0.04
 

Magnesium (%)

(<1.5)

Hills 1.79±0.03 1.78± 0.04 1.69± 0.05 1.76±0.06 1.76±0.02
Plains 1.88±0.04 1.86± 0.06 1.91± 0.04 1.91±0.06 1.89± 0.02
 

Zinc (ppm)

(<0.60)

Hills 0.53± 0.01 0.54± 0.01 0.55±0.01 0.55±0.01 0.54±0.00
Plains 0.57b± 0.01 0.53a± 0.01 0.58b± 0.01 0.57b±0.01 0.56± 0.01
 

Copper (ppm)

(<0.60)

Hills 0.64b± 0.01 0.64b± 0.01 0.62b± 0.01 0.59a±0.01 0.63±0.00
Plains 0.65ab±0.00 0.63ab±0.01 0.64b± 0.01 0.61a±0.01 0.64± 0.00
 

Iron (ppm)

(<1.20)

Hills 2.82b± 0.06

 

2.85b± 0.07

 

2.68b± 0.08

 

2.12a±0.15 2.69±0.05
Plains 2.68b± 0.05 2.99c± 0.07 2.78bc±0.06 1.96a±0.19 2.66± 0.05

Means having different superscripts in lower case in columns rows differ significantly (P≤0.05).

CC*= critical blood level as given by Radostitis et al. (2000).

Based on the mineral profile of soil, composite fodder and blood, the Area specific mineral mixture was formulated.

Table-4: Area specific mineral mixture for livestock based on mineral profile of soil, composite fodder and livestock blood of the operational area

Mineral salt percentage
Dicalcium phosphate 51.0
Limestone phosphate 32.0
Magnesium Oxide 10.0
Zinc sulphate 4.0
Copper sulphate 1.2
Iron sulphate 0.75
Magnesium sulphate 0.82
Potassium iodide 0.12
Cobalt sulphate 0.085

 

Outcome

The formulated mineral mixture was distributed among farmers belonging to Lar, benhama, Arch, Malpora and Nunner for feedback with respect to the milk and reproductive performance. Also the mineral mixture was kept available for sale among farmers at the university seed mela for the 4 consecutive years and farmers were questioned for the milk and reproductive performances.  A common questionnaire was developed for the purpose using simple language acceptable and easily filled by the team leader of the farmers and information with respect increase in milk production, health status, and reproductive efficiency was collected. Based on the feedback received, It was roughly concluded that there was increase in milk production, reproductive efficiency (conception rate) and income generation of the farmers. This can be verified from the fact that the formulated mineral mixture is in great demand and the farmers have been repeatedly asking and purchasing the product. the product is popular among farmers and adoption rate is increasing day by day.

The author acknowledges the support from the Directorate of Research, SKUAST-K, Division of Animal Nutrition, Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Ganderbal and the line departments in making the programme smooth and successful is highly appreciated and duly acknowledged.

The author is an Assistant Professor of Animal Nutrition at Mountain Livestock Research Institute, SKUAST-K. He can be reached at Parvaiz85@gmail.com

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