Use of intensive fodder banks with hybrid napier Co‐3 Grass for smallholder dairy production systems in the dry zone of Sri Lanka

摘要

The 500m2 intensive fodder bank system with hybrid Napier CO-3 ( Pennisetum perpureum x P.Americanum ) grass was introduced to the country in 2000 by the Ministry of Livestock Development of Sri Lanka with an aim to get a sustainable feeding system using intensified all‐year round fodder production for a unit of 2 milking cows.This fodder block holds approximately 500 grass plants on 1m spacing.Lack of intensive management with appropriate practices,in many cases has reduced the productivity,particularly in the dry zone.However,if the farmer followed the key practices in the approved manner the results would not be unsatisfactory (Premaratne and Premalal,2006).