भा.कृ.अनु.प.- भारतीय चरागाह एवं चारा अनुसंधान संस्थान, झाँसी

Thrust Area

• Enhancing forage productivity and resource use efficiency through precision input management, conservation agriculture practices and decision support system
• Nature positive forage production, livestock based IFS and climate resilient agro-techniques
• Managing soil health through innovations in fertilizer use and rhizosphere manipulation
• Exploring non-conventional forage resources

Staff Positions

(Name — Designation — Discipline — Photo)

Name	Designation	Discipline	Photo
Dr. D.R. Palsaniya	Principal Scientist & Head	Agronomy
Dr. S.R. Kantwa	Principal Scientist	Agronomy
Dr. Srinivasan R.	Principal Scientist	Agricultural Microbiology
Dr. Mukesh Choudhary	Senior Scientist	Agronomy
Dr. Mahendra Prasad	Senior Scientist	Soil Science
Dr. Sonu Kumar Mahawer	Scientist	Agricultural Chemicals
Dr. Gaurendra Gupta	Scientist	Agronomy

Major Significant Research Achievements

1. Designed and developed five resource- and location-specific livestock-based IFS models (one-hectare): rainfed crop-dominated, rainfed livestock-dominated, irrigated intensive with balanced enterprises, high value near cities, and irrigated dairy-based. IFS activities were also initiated on farmers’ fields.
2. Developed climate-smart food-fodder production model with efficient soil water conservation approaches under rainfed conditions.
3. Developed package of practices (PoP) for spineless fodder cactus and promoted cactus as a non-conventional fodder resource in non-competitive lands (farm boundaries, wastelands, degraded lands, community pasture peripheries).
4. Development of phosphate-solubilizing biofertilizers suitable for fodder crops in problem soils. Two efficient strains (Burkholderia cepacia and Talaromyces pinophilous) had genomes sequenced to understand stress tolerance and phosphate solubilizing mechanisms. These inoculants were field-tested.

Major Technologies / Innovations / Methods / Tools

• Round-the-year fodder production systems (irrigated and rainfed)
• Climate-resilient food-fodder production model under rainfed situations
• Conservation agriculture technology in Sesbania alley-based rainfed food-fodder system
• Invasive weed (Parthenium and Lantana) based biochar as soil amendment for improved fodder production
• Multi-enterprise IFS model for irrigated smallholder farmers of Bundelkhand
• Package of practices for spineless fodder cactus under rainfed semi-arid conditions
• Dairy-based IFS model for irrigated small and marginal farmers of Bundelkhand
• Agro-silvipasture based rainfed IFS model for goat farmers of Bundelkhand
• High-value crop based IFS model for peri-urban small farmers
• Biofertilizers for forages: IGFRI-Rhizobium, IGFRI-Phosphojeevanu (phosphate solubilizer), IGFRI-PGPR (plant growth promoting rhizobacteria)
• Fodder cultivation on field boundaries/bunds/channels — non-competitive land use
• Integrated nutrient management in BN hybrid + (cowpea–berseem) production system
• Patent granted: Soil core sampler assembly

Projects

Ongoing Projects

• Harnessing the potential of invasive weed biochar as fertilizer coating material for improving fodder productivity, nutrient use and soil health
• Studies on natural farming practices in forage crops
• Manipulating the rhizosphere microbiome using plant growth promoting microbes to enhance soil and plant health
• Nature positive integrated farming system for improving livelihood and ecosystem services in Bundelkhand region
• Plant based formulations for zonate leaf spot disease suppression in fodder sorghum

Completed Projects

• Livestock based integrated farming systems for sustaining livelihood of Bundelkhand farmers
• Nutrient and water management in BN hybrid through drip irrigation in semi-arid region of India
• Precision nitrogen management in forage crops
• Development of microbial inoculants to enhance ensiling
• Assessment of water requirement for fodder based cropping systems in different parts of Uttar Pradesh
• Development of decision support system for fodder crops with a special reference to climate change
• Above and below ground biodiversity in different forage production systems
• Effect of long term sewage water irrigation on heavy metal accumulation in soil-plant-animal continuum
• Long term nutrient management strategies for sustainable forage production in guinea grass + (cowpea-berseem) cropping system
• Food-fodder based crop intensification and diversification with efficient soil water conservation approaches under rainfed conditions
• Promoting cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) as drought resilient feed resource under different agro-ecological production systems across India
• Integrated nutrient management on Napier Bajra hybrid based cropping system for sustainable fodder production and soil health
• Identification and characterization of root architecture traits associated with high biomass under different cutting regimes in oat and guinea grass
• Development of phosphate solubilising bio-fertilizer suitable for fodder crops of problem soils
• Water requirement of grass based intercropping system in semi-arid area