ABSTRACT
Agriculture and animal husbandry in India are interwoven with the intricate fabric of the society in cultural, religious, and economical ways as mixed farming and livestock rearing forms an integral part of rural
living. Efficient utilization of limited land resources and other agricultural inputs for obtaining the best from the harvest in the form of herbage per unit area and time is the primary objective of intensive forage production system (Mukherjee, 2015). Since ancient times, cattle breeding and milk production have been the important professions in India, and this directly relate with the availability of various forage and fodder crops. Free grazing was practiced and it became a way of life for healthy growth of cattle, etc. Presently, livestock production is primarily based on rangeland grazing. The grazing activity is mainly dependent on the availability of the grazing resources from pastures and other pasture lands, namely, forests, miscellaneous tree crops and groves, cultivable wastelands, and fallow land. Various underutilized leguminous crops such as Centrosema pubescens, Clitoria ternatea, Pueraria phaseoloides, Macroptilium atropurpureum, Mucuna pruriens, lablab bean, and Desmodium are nutritious fodder. In integrated dairy, animals are dependent on underutilized fodder crops (Mukherjee, 2012). However, farmers may require fodder at different times during the season. But, subjecting to different cutting regimes could have an impact on crop yields through effects on N fixation, transfer, and mineralization, as well as changes in competition for light, nutrients, etc. Legume species are important supplements for livestock and at times can completely replace purchased feeds if used properly. There are many legumes species commonly used for pasture or fodder in India and world too. In this chapter, few important nonconventional leguminous forage crops are discussed which are suitable under various land topography and convenient to use as feed for cattle, poultry feed, etc.
