Techno Economic Feasibility Of Pasture/Fodder/ Tree/Animal Integration In Coconut Lands
There are almost 9 mi 11 ion hectares of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) in the world, with 90 located in Asia and Pacific region. Pasture/fodder/tree/animal integration in coconut lands is an efficient mixed farming system practiced in many countries to increase the production and productivity of the land. Environmental factors such as competition, shade tolerance of crops and other factors such as soil compaction problems -coconut harvesting, cattle damage to seedlings, tree spacing play an important role in pasture/Iivestock/coconut system. Introduction of suitable improved pasture species with optimum management techniques is required to maximise coconut and pasture yields and satisfactory live weight gains of animals. Rotational grazing system has found to be the most appropriate to practice in coconut lands due to several reasons. Work in many countries reported that introduction of crop/livestock integration into coconut plantations reduced weeding costs, increased copra product ion, increased farm gross Income, reduced dependence on one crop, and better and more complete utiIization of available feeds in the system by cattle. These systems clearly demonstrated their technical feasibility and economic viability of crop/livestock integrated systems in developing the coconut smallholdings as well as the state sector.