Optimization of process for preservation of green cotton biomass as silage for farm animals

Abstract

India has a livestock population of 535.78 M as per the 20th livestock census. Fulfilling the green fodder demand of countries' vast livestock is challenging for several reasons: uncertain rainfall, low land holding, the pressure of producing food commodities, etc. Several agricultural residues are being burned on the field with a certain level of feed value for the farm animals. The burning of crop residue is responsible for environmental pollution. Often, the farmers are forced to uproot the cotton crop in green condition before harvesting cotton fibres if it is severely infested with pests or if bogus seeds were planted. Such green cotton biomass is dumped and burned in the field. The freshly uprooted cotton biomass has the potential to be converted and preserved to nutritious silage as animal feed. In the present study, a process protocol was developed to utilize the early uprooted GCB for the development of silage, a source of nutritious animal feed. Green cotton biomass (GCB) is chopped to 2-3 mm size and ensiled for 45 days by adding additives like urea and molasses. The ensiled cotton silage showed desirable physical characteristics (colour, flavour, and texture) and an increase in Lactobacillus count and protein content from 3×104 cfu/g to 117×104 cfu/g and 4.51% to 9.68% respectively.