Availability of good bulls for breeding of good cows is unavoidable , whether AI is promoted or natural breeding is carried out.
It is more than 60 years that Govt of India has been very seriously implementing AI programs all over the country. But according to information available 20% cows and 10% buffaloes have only been reached by AI programs.
That means 80% cows and 90% buffaloes have to depend on natural breeding with available to commnity 'STRAY BULLS'.In India in Vedic tradition it is considered a great charitable duty to donate a Bull for free community service.Vedic ceremonies of Shoolgawaa and Vrishotsarg in which once an year community used to perform a yagna to select a good male calf for breeding , make a permanent mark by hot branding and then release such a Bull for free community service.
Over long period this practice got degenerated. But leaving male cows free to loiter around is still considered an act of public service.
Most of such bulls are unsuitable for breeding. Realising this fact Govt of India had decided to take up the program to castrate all stray Bulls. The statistics on the number of stray bulls castrated so far in India is not available. But the fact remains that the program for castrating of stray bulls in India has practically stayed only on paper.
Castrating a Bull is not an easy procedure. Under the circumstances all efforts to produce excellent bulls will not help the 80% cows and 90% buffaloes of India.
I wonder if there are any possibility of a noninvasive techniques by giving some medicine by feed or injection, the sperm production in a bull can be stopped. This can be considered as an alternative to Castrating of Stray Bulls.
I am proceeding with researching and preparing the details of performing the Vedic ceremonies of Shoolgawaa and Vrishotsarg in which once an year community used to perform a yagna to select a good male calf for breeding , make a permanent mark by hot branding and then release such a Bull for free community service.
I wonder if Cow lovers will like to comment on the issues raised and suggest possible practically implementable strategies.
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Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Bulls released for free community breeding
In praise of Bulls AV 9.4
1.साहस्रस्त्वेष ऋषभः पयस्वान् विश्वा रुपाणि वक्षणासु विभ्रत। भद्रं दात्रे यजमानाय शिक्षन् बार्हस्पत्य उस्रियस्तन्तुमातान्।। AV9.4.1
Bull with thousands of bounties of high milk yielding healthy & beautiful progeny stored in its body is developed, engaged and set up by charitable, wise men to learn the art of breeding and stretching the line of good progeny of cows with strong healthy bodies.
2. अपां यो अग्रे प्रतिमा बभूव प्रभु: सर्वस्मै पृथिवीव देवी | पिता वत्सानां पतिरघ्न्यनां साहस्रे पोषे अपि न: कृणोतु || अथर्व 9.4.2
Waters (Primordial soup) played the primary role in creation of life. Bull performs the role of same importance as husband of cows and by fathering calves, and provides world with sustenance in thousands of forms (through agriculture and milk)
3.पुमानन्तर्वान्त्स्थविर: पयस्वान् वसो: कबन्धमृषभो विभर्ति |
तमिन्द्राय पथिभिर्देवयानैर्हुतमग्निर्वहतु जातवेदा: || अथर्व 9.4.3
Bull symbolizes Vitality of life. There is no alternative to Bull as the personified embodiment of life sustainability.
4.पिता वत्सानां पतिरघ्न्यानामथो पिता महतां गर्गराणाम्|
वत्सो जरायु: प्रतिधुक् पीयूष आमिक्ष्जा घृतं तद् वस्य रेत: ||
अथर्व 9.4.4
Bull is husband of cows, father of calves. And is creator of vast quantities of Milk (through highly productive cows). The calf, the placenta, colostrums, then milk, curds, and ghee are only different manifestations of Bull semen.
5.देवानां भाग उप्नाह एषो3पां रस ओषधीनां घृतस्य|
सोमस्य भक्षमवृणीत शक्रो बृहन्नद्रिभवद् यच्छरीरम् || अथर्व 9.4.5
Bull is storehouse of divine motivating forces. Bull is source of nutritive and curative properties present in the form of different liquids, medicines and ghee. The intellectual motivating forces of सोम that initiate all constructive activity इन्द्र on ground follow from the existence of Bulls.
6. सोमेन पूर्ण कलशं विभर्षि त्वष्टा रूपाणां जनिता पशूनाम् |
शिवास्ते सन्तु प्रजन्व इह या इमा न्यस्मभ्यं स्वधिते यच्छ या अमू: || अथर्व9.4.6
Bull is the source of all intellectual motivation force सोम. Bull alone is responsible for calves of different colors and shades. The cows that the Bull provides are source of far reaching progress, prosperity, motivational temperaments and capabilities of the society.
7. आज्यं विभर्ति घृतमस्य रेत: साहस्र: पोषमस्तमु यज्ञमाहु: |
इन्द्रस्य रूपमृषभो वसान: सो अस्मान् देवा: शिव एतु दत्त: || अथर्व9.4.7
It is the semen of Bull that is the ghee for the Yajna of life by which good healthy, right thinking progeny is born for a welfare sustainable society.
8.इन्द्रस्यौजो वरुणस्य बाहू अश्विनोरंसौ मरुतामियं ककुत् | बृहस्पतिं संभृतमेतमाहुर्ये धीरास: कवयो ये मनीषिण: || अथर्व9.4.8
Aura of vitality of Bull is provider of prestigious temperament of humans who are ‘doers’ in society of tasks with far reaching effectiveness. The hump on its back is provider of all microbiological elements of growth promoting and disease preventing bounties. Bull is the precursor of human articulate speech capability of creative minds, wise men, and poets.
9.दैवीर्विश: पयस्वाना तनोषि त्वामिंद्रं त्वां सरस्वन्त्माहु: |
सहस्रं स एकमुखा ददाति यो ब्राह्मण ऋषमाजुहोति || अथर्व 9.4.9
As provider of agriculture and Nectar of milk the nutrition sources Bull is responsible for development of a meritorious society. Bull is truly exclaimed as an ocean of prosperity and welfare. Bull by its community service produces progeny of cows that has a single track purpose in its existence –the welfare of entire creation.
10. बृहस्पति: सविता ते वयो दधौ त्वष्टुर्वायो: पर्यात्मा त आभृत: |
अन्तरिक्षे मनसा त्वाजुहोमि बर्हिष्टे द्यावापृथिवी उभे स्ताम् ||
अथर्व 9.4.10
Nature has endowed the Bull with vigor, intensity and life giving capabilities. Bull’s aura carries its creativity. With well planned and executed traditions Bull is released for free unrestricted wandering as community service. Open air and earth provide the dwellings for this Bull.
11. य इन्द्र इव दैवेषु गोष्वेति विवादत् |
तस्य ऋषभस्याङ्गनि ब्रह्मा सं स्तौतु भद्रया || अथर्व9.4.11
Indra occupies his eminent position among gods by his innumerable virtuous actions. So let us also pay our obeisance to all parts in the body of the Bull.
Symbolism associated with various body parts of a Bull is described in the following mantras;
Much more detailed study is needed to fathom this symbolism. The following correlations are very commonly known.
12. पार्श्वे आस्तामनुत्या भगस्या स्तामनूवृजौ |
पार्श्वे Sides are अनुमत्या Providers of desired directions अष्ठीवन्तावब्रवीन्मित्रो ममैतौ केवलाविति || अथर्व9.4.12
†Âšüß¾Ö¬ŸÖÖî the Knees are मित्रः Protectors from evils आवृजो Flanks भगस्य Harbingers of good tidings
3.भसदादित्यानां श्रोणी आस्तां बृहस्पते: |
³ÖÃÖ¤Ëü Rumps आदित्यानाम Ground that supports all श्रोणी Thighs बृहस्पति Interceders in actions
पुच्छस्य वातस्य्देवस्य तेन धूनोत्योषधी | अथर्व 9.4.13.
¯Öã“”û´Ö Tail ¾ÖÖŸÖ Draft of air bearing medicines
14.गुदा असन्त्सिवाल्या: सूर्यायास्त्वचमब्रुवन् |
गुदाAnusसिनीवाल्या for women engaged in chores of managing cow dung, Ÿ¾Ö“ÖÖ Skin सूर्याया Daughters of SUN ( Nutrition precursors of Vitamin D linkage)
उत्थातुरब्रुवन् पद ऋषभं यदकल्पयन्|| अथर्व 9.4.14
¯Ö¤ü„ Feet ˆŸ£ÖÖŸÖã up standers providing support
15. क्रोड आसीज्जामिशंस्य सोमस्य कलशो घृत: |
क्रोड: Breasts जामिशंसस्य About sisterly affections कलश: Vessel is udder सोमस्य full of Mind motivator milk
देवा: संगत्य यत् सर्व ऋषभं व्यकल्पयन || अथर्व 9.4.15
All dewataas divine powers collaborated to bestow Bull with these attributes.
16. ते कुष्ठिका: सर्मायै कूर्मेभ्यो अदुध: शफान् |
ऊबध्य्मस्य कीटेभु: श्वर्तेभो अधारयन् || अथर्व 9.4.16
कुष्टिक: dew-claws सरमायै For Watch Dogs, शफान् hoof as Tools,‰ú¾Ö¬µÖ´Ö Dung कीट्भ्य: as insecticides
17.शृङ्गाभ्यां रक्ष ऋषत्यवर्ति हन्ति चक्षुषा |
शृणोति भद्रं कर्णाभ्यां गवां य: पतिरघ्न्य: || अथर्व 9.4.17
By his horn a bull provides protection from enemies- (This could also allude to Rudolph Steiner’s Bio Dynamic horn preparations of insecticides and plant growth promoter preparations)- And protects from famines by his observation (Satavalekar)-
By his ears Bull hears the voice of cows in heat desiring him for being their husband.
(This can be an area for research by modern veterinary science to detect estrus in cows by recognizing change in voice pattern of a cow in heat.)
18. शतयाजं स यजते नैनं दुन्वन्त्यग्नय: |
जिन्वन्ति विश्वे तं देवा यो ब्राह्मण ऋषभमाजुहोति || अथर्व 9.4.18
By donating a bull for community service, one participates in performing social services of great significance for maintaining growth of good cows. And thus protects the society from sufferings that befall a society that is not sustained by good cows.
19.ब्राह्मणेभ्य ऋषभं दत्वा वरीय: कृणुते मन: |
पुष्टिं सो अघ्न्यानां स्वे गोष्ठेपश्यते || अथर्व 9.4.19
Tradition of donating a bull for community service promotes benevolent, philanthropic, unselfish, charitable temperament in individuals and society. Growth of good cows is seen in such Community.
20.गाव: सन्तु प्रजा: सन्त्वथो अस्तु तनूबलम् |
तत् सर्वमनु मन्यन्तां देवा ऋषभदायिने || अथर्व 9.4.20
Vrishabhotsarg-वृषभोत्सर्ग tradition of releasing a Bull for community service provides means for expanding the number of good cows and ensures a healthy and prosperous society .
21. अयं पिपान इन्द्र रयिं दधातु चेतनीम् | अयं धेनुं सुदुधां नित्यवत्सां वशं दुहां विपश्चितं परो दिव: || अथर्व 9.4.21
A good strong bull ensures good cows that give plenty of milk to provide excellent nutrition and mental development, ensures good male calves for agriculture and future Bulls, provides cows of friendly temperaments . This is as if this bull is thus procuring for us divine gifts from heavens.
22. पिशङ्गरूपो नभसो वयोधा ऐंद्र: शुष्मो विश्वरूपो न आगन् |
आयुरस्मभ्यं दधत् प्रजां च रायश्च पोषैरभि न: सचताम् || अथर्व 9.4.22
The golden color of Sunshine brings (by photosynthesis) energy through growing agriculture. Bulls bring the bounties of sunshine to humans through cows (in the form of Carotenoids & Vitamin D) and bless us with good health, long life and provide vitality to our semen for having children to make the community prosperous and happy.
23. उपेहोपर्पर्चनास्मिन गोष्ठ उप पृङ्च न: |
उप ऋषभस्य यद् रेत उपेन्द्र तव वीर्यम् || अथर्व9.4.23
We pray for the Bull to be always available to us close at hand and to join with our herd for his vitality to produce progeny of cows for our welfare.
24.एतं वो युवानं प्रति दध्मो अत्र तेन क्रीडन्तीश्चरत वशां अनु| मा नो हासिष्ट जनुषा सुभागा रायश्च पोषैरभि न: सचध्वम् ||
अथर्व 9.4.24
Youth full Bull (after proper selection and with permanent identity) is released for community service among cows for their playful enjoyment and for the herd to move about as they desire. By their growth in numbers cows continue to ensure welfare of society.
1.साहस्रस्त्वेष ऋषभः पयस्वान् विश्वा रुपाणि वक्षणासु विभ्रत। भद्रं दात्रे यजमानाय शिक्षन् बार्हस्पत्य उस्रियस्तन्तुमातान्।। AV9.4.1
Bull with thousands of bounties of high milk yielding healthy & beautiful progeny stored in its body is developed, engaged and set up by charitable, wise men to learn the art of breeding and stretching the line of good progeny of cows with strong healthy bodies.
2. अपां यो अग्रे प्रतिमा बभूव प्रभु: सर्वस्मै पृथिवीव देवी | पिता वत्सानां पतिरघ्न्यनां साहस्रे पोषे अपि न: कृणोतु || अथर्व 9.4.2
Waters (Primordial soup) played the primary role in creation of life. Bull performs the role of same importance as husband of cows and by fathering calves, and provides world with sustenance in thousands of forms (through agriculture and milk)
3.पुमानन्तर्वान्त्स्थविर: पयस्वान् वसो: कबन्धमृषभो विभर्ति |
तमिन्द्राय पथिभिर्देवयानैर्हुतमग्निर्वहतु जातवेदा: || अथर्व 9.4.3
Bull symbolizes Vitality of life. There is no alternative to Bull as the personified embodiment of life sustainability.
4.पिता वत्सानां पतिरघ्न्यानामथो पिता महतां गर्गराणाम्|
वत्सो जरायु: प्रतिधुक् पीयूष आमिक्ष्जा घृतं तद् वस्य रेत: ||
अथर्व 9.4.4
Bull is husband of cows, father of calves. And is creator of vast quantities of Milk (through highly productive cows). The calf, the placenta, colostrums, then milk, curds, and ghee are only different manifestations of Bull semen.
5.देवानां भाग उप्नाह एषो3पां रस ओषधीनां घृतस्य|
सोमस्य भक्षमवृणीत शक्रो बृहन्नद्रिभवद् यच्छरीरम् || अथर्व 9.4.5
Bull is storehouse of divine motivating forces. Bull is source of nutritive and curative properties present in the form of different liquids, medicines and ghee. The intellectual motivating forces of सोम that initiate all constructive activity इन्द्र on ground follow from the existence of Bulls.
6. सोमेन पूर्ण कलशं विभर्षि त्वष्टा रूपाणां जनिता पशूनाम् |
शिवास्ते सन्तु प्रजन्व इह या इमा न्यस्मभ्यं स्वधिते यच्छ या अमू: || अथर्व9.4.6
Bull is the source of all intellectual motivation force सोम. Bull alone is responsible for calves of different colors and shades. The cows that the Bull provides are source of far reaching progress, prosperity, motivational temperaments and capabilities of the society.
7. आज्यं विभर्ति घृतमस्य रेत: साहस्र: पोषमस्तमु यज्ञमाहु: |
इन्द्रस्य रूपमृषभो वसान: सो अस्मान् देवा: शिव एतु दत्त: || अथर्व9.4.7
It is the semen of Bull that is the ghee for the Yajna of life by which good healthy, right thinking progeny is born for a welfare sustainable society.
8.इन्द्रस्यौजो वरुणस्य बाहू अश्विनोरंसौ मरुतामियं ककुत् | बृहस्पतिं संभृतमेतमाहुर्ये धीरास: कवयो ये मनीषिण: || अथर्व9.4.8
Aura of vitality of Bull is provider of prestigious temperament of humans who are ‘doers’ in society of tasks with far reaching effectiveness. The hump on its back is provider of all microbiological elements of growth promoting and disease preventing bounties. Bull is the precursor of human articulate speech capability of creative minds, wise men, and poets.
9.दैवीर्विश: पयस्वाना तनोषि त्वामिंद्रं त्वां सरस्वन्त्माहु: |
सहस्रं स एकमुखा ददाति यो ब्राह्मण ऋषमाजुहोति || अथर्व 9.4.9
As provider of agriculture and Nectar of milk the nutrition sources Bull is responsible for development of a meritorious society. Bull is truly exclaimed as an ocean of prosperity and welfare. Bull by its community service produces progeny of cows that has a single track purpose in its existence –the welfare of entire creation.
10. बृहस्पति: सविता ते वयो दधौ त्वष्टुर्वायो: पर्यात्मा त आभृत: |
अन्तरिक्षे मनसा त्वाजुहोमि बर्हिष्टे द्यावापृथिवी उभे स्ताम् ||
अथर्व 9.4.10
Nature has endowed the Bull with vigor, intensity and life giving capabilities. Bull’s aura carries its creativity. With well planned and executed traditions Bull is released for free unrestricted wandering as community service. Open air and earth provide the dwellings for this Bull.
11. य इन्द्र इव दैवेषु गोष्वेति विवादत् |
तस्य ऋषभस्याङ्गनि ब्रह्मा सं स्तौतु भद्रया || अथर्व9.4.11
Indra occupies his eminent position among gods by his innumerable virtuous actions. So let us also pay our obeisance to all parts in the body of the Bull.
Symbolism associated with various body parts of a Bull is described in the following mantras;
Much more detailed study is needed to fathom this symbolism. The following correlations are very commonly known.
12. पार्श्वे आस्तामनुत्या भगस्या स्तामनूवृजौ |
पार्श्वे Sides are अनुमत्या Providers of desired directions अष्ठीवन्तावब्रवीन्मित्रो ममैतौ केवलाविति || अथर्व9.4.12
†Âšüß¾Ö¬ŸÖÖî the Knees are मित्रः Protectors from evils आवृजो Flanks भगस्य Harbingers of good tidings
3.भसदादित्यानां श्रोणी आस्तां बृहस्पते: |
³ÖÃÖ¤Ëü Rumps आदित्यानाम Ground that supports all श्रोणी Thighs बृहस्पति Interceders in actions
पुच्छस्य वातस्य्देवस्य तेन धूनोत्योषधी | अथर्व 9.4.13.
¯Öã“”û´Ö Tail ¾ÖÖŸÖ Draft of air bearing medicines
14.गुदा असन्त्सिवाल्या: सूर्यायास्त्वचमब्रुवन् |
गुदाAnusसिनीवाल्या for women engaged in chores of managing cow dung, Ÿ¾Ö“ÖÖ Skin सूर्याया Daughters of SUN ( Nutrition precursors of Vitamin D linkage)
उत्थातुरब्रुवन् पद ऋषभं यदकल्पयन्|| अथर्व 9.4.14
¯Ö¤ü„ Feet ˆŸ£ÖÖŸÖã up standers providing support
15. क्रोड आसीज्जामिशंस्य सोमस्य कलशो घृत: |
क्रोड: Breasts जामिशंसस्य About sisterly affections कलश: Vessel is udder सोमस्य full of Mind motivator milk
देवा: संगत्य यत् सर्व ऋषभं व्यकल्पयन || अथर्व 9.4.15
All dewataas divine powers collaborated to bestow Bull with these attributes.
16. ते कुष्ठिका: सर्मायै कूर्मेभ्यो अदुध: शफान् |
ऊबध्य्मस्य कीटेभु: श्वर्तेभो अधारयन् || अथर्व 9.4.16
कुष्टिक: dew-claws सरमायै For Watch Dogs, शफान् hoof as Tools,‰ú¾Ö¬µÖ´Ö Dung कीट्भ्य: as insecticides
17.शृङ्गाभ्यां रक्ष ऋषत्यवर्ति हन्ति चक्षुषा |
शृणोति भद्रं कर्णाभ्यां गवां य: पतिरघ्न्य: || अथर्व 9.4.17
By his horn a bull provides protection from enemies- (This could also allude to Rudolph Steiner’s Bio Dynamic horn preparations of insecticides and plant growth promoter preparations)- And protects from famines by his observation (Satavalekar)-
By his ears Bull hears the voice of cows in heat desiring him for being their husband.
(This can be an area for research by modern veterinary science to detect estrus in cows by recognizing change in voice pattern of a cow in heat.)
18. शतयाजं स यजते नैनं दुन्वन्त्यग्नय: |
जिन्वन्ति विश्वे तं देवा यो ब्राह्मण ऋषभमाजुहोति || अथर्व 9.4.18
By donating a bull for community service, one participates in performing social services of great significance for maintaining growth of good cows. And thus protects the society from sufferings that befall a society that is not sustained by good cows.
19.ब्राह्मणेभ्य ऋषभं दत्वा वरीय: कृणुते मन: |
पुष्टिं सो अघ्न्यानां स्वे गोष्ठेपश्यते || अथर्व 9.4.19
Tradition of donating a bull for community service promotes benevolent, philanthropic, unselfish, charitable temperament in individuals and society. Growth of good cows is seen in such Community.
20.गाव: सन्तु प्रजा: सन्त्वथो अस्तु तनूबलम् |
तत् सर्वमनु मन्यन्तां देवा ऋषभदायिने || अथर्व 9.4.20
Vrishabhotsarg-वृषभोत्सर्ग tradition of releasing a Bull for community service provides means for expanding the number of good cows and ensures a healthy and prosperous society .
21. अयं पिपान इन्द्र रयिं दधातु चेतनीम् | अयं धेनुं सुदुधां नित्यवत्सां वशं दुहां विपश्चितं परो दिव: || अथर्व 9.4.21
A good strong bull ensures good cows that give plenty of milk to provide excellent nutrition and mental development, ensures good male calves for agriculture and future Bulls, provides cows of friendly temperaments . This is as if this bull is thus procuring for us divine gifts from heavens.
22. पिशङ्गरूपो नभसो वयोधा ऐंद्र: शुष्मो विश्वरूपो न आगन् |
आयुरस्मभ्यं दधत् प्रजां च रायश्च पोषैरभि न: सचताम् || अथर्व 9.4.22
The golden color of Sunshine brings (by photosynthesis) energy through growing agriculture. Bulls bring the bounties of sunshine to humans through cows (in the form of Carotenoids & Vitamin D) and bless us with good health, long life and provide vitality to our semen for having children to make the community prosperous and happy.
23. उपेहोपर्पर्चनास्मिन गोष्ठ उप पृङ्च न: |
उप ऋषभस्य यद् रेत उपेन्द्र तव वीर्यम् || अथर्व9.4.23
We pray for the Bull to be always available to us close at hand and to join with our herd for his vitality to produce progeny of cows for our welfare.
24.एतं वो युवानं प्रति दध्मो अत्र तेन क्रीडन्तीश्चरत वशां अनु| मा नो हासिष्ट जनुषा सुभागा रायश्च पोषैरभि न: सचध्वम् ||
अथर्व 9.4.24
Youth full Bull (after proper selection and with permanent identity) is released for community service among cows for their playful enjoyment and for the herd to move about as they desire. By their growth in numbers cows continue to ensure welfare of society.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Attributes of a good Bull in Vedic literature
Veterinary anatomy experts are requested to kindly help in improving this interpretation.
Attributes (Breeding bulls,cows oxes)
वृषभ: सूक्त -विषय
5.3 Bulls For Breeding
5.3.1.1 AV 9-4-1
Bull Pedigree, breeding soundness
साहस्रस्त्वेष ऋषभः पयस्वान् विश्वा रुपाणि वक्षणासु विभ्रत। भद्रं दात्रे यजमानाय शिक्षन् बार्हस्पत्य उस्रियस्तन्तुमातान्।।
Bull with thousands of attributes like high milk yield healthy & beautiful progeny stored in its body is developed, engaged and set up by charitable, wise men to learn the art of breeding and stretching the line of good progeny of cows with strong healthy bodies.
Visible Marks of undesirable Bulls and cows
(Paninis AshtaDhyai confirms the Parashar samhita.)
5.2 पाराशर: गोलक्षणम्
वृषभ अशुभ वृष कथनम
5.2.1(22) ºÉÉ»ÉÉÊ¤É±É रूक्षक्ष्योमूषकनयनाश्च न शुभ प्रदा गाव:। प्रचलच्चिपिट विषाणां: करटा: खर ºÉqù¶É´ÉhÉÉǶSÉ**1.22
Cow with tearful, dry or rodent look alike eyes with flat or shaking horns, waste products and garbage eating, making sounds form head? Skin ash colored like that of donkey are not expected to sire good cows.
5.2.2(23) दश सप्तचतुर्दन्त्य: प्रलम्बमुण्डानामना विनतपृष्टा श्च ह्रस्वस्थूलग्रीवा यवमधया दारितखुरा श्च
Bulls with ten, seven or four teeth, disproportionately long face, raised hind, short stocky neck, small back, and frayed hoof are not expected to give good results.
5.2.3(24) श्यावाऽतिदीर्घ जिह्वा गुल्फै रति तनुभि रति वृहाद्भि र्वा। अतिकुकुदा: कृशदेहा नेष्टा हीनाधिाकाञ्गय श्च।। (24)
Black & White colored, with long tongue, dwarf or skinny or with incomplete or excessive body parts are not good features of Bulls (Could these references and mention of white and black colored cows be seen as hinting to HF Cows?)
5.2.4(25)
वृषभोऽप्येवं स्थूलातिलंबवृषण: शिराततक्रोड:।
स्थूलशिराचितगण्ड स्त्रिास्थानं महते यश्च।। ;25
Bull with stocky or very pendulous scrotum, ribs showing on stomach, varicose veins on face, oozing from three openings.
(It is confirmed that bulls and cows which swallow indigestible items like plastics keep on drooling from their mouth the undigested materials. This is also a fact that a very small surgery with local anesthesia known as
' rumenotomy' can remove such indigestible foreign matter from a cows' stomach to restore it to normal health)
5.2.5(26) मार्जारक्ष: कपिल: करटो वानशुभदो द्विजस्ये ष्ठः।कृष्णोष्टतालुजिह्व: श्वसनो यूथस्य घातकर:।। (26)
With eyes like that of a cat, brown colored, or crow colored, with black lips, pallet, tongue, short of breath bull does not bring good luck.
5.2.6(27) स्थूलशकृ न्मणिशृन्ग: सितोदर: कृष्णसार वर्णश्च। गृहजातो ऽपि त्याज्यो यूथविनाशावहो वृषभ:।। (27)
stocky anus and horns, white stomach or unusually complexioned bull should not be commissioned even if it is home born.
5.2.7(28) श्यामाक पुष्पचिताञ्गो भस्मा रूणसन्निभो विडालाक्ष:। विप्राणा मपि न शुभं करोति वृषभ: परिगृहीत:।। 28
Small limbed ash brown colored eyes like that of cats are not good as bull
5.2.8(29) ये चो द्धोरन्ति प्रादान् पञ्कादिव योजिता: कृशग्रीवा:। कातरनयना हीना: पृष्टत श्च तेन भारसहा: (29)
Bull which enjoy wallowing in mud & mire, drags his feet while walking, is short necked, small back or scary eyes is not good.
5.3 Good Bull Recognition
शुभ वृष कथनम
Traits of Good Bulls
5.3.1;30 मृदुसंहतता म्रोष्टा स्तनुस्पिफज स्ताम्रतालुजि ह्वाश्च। तनुहस्वो च श्रवण: सुकुक्षय: स्पष्टजंघांश्च।। (30)
Softly closed pinkish lips, small buttocks, pink tongue & pallet, small raised ears beautiful tummy & open thighs.
5.3.2(31) आताम्रसंहतखुरा ब्यूढोरस्का वृहत्ककुद्युक्ता:।
स्निग्धा श्लक्ष्णतनुत्व ग्रोमाण स्तुश्रिंञ्गाः।। (31)
Pinkish hoof, fleshy breast, large hump, shiny small haircoat , bronze colored small horns
5.3.3(32) तनुभूस्पृग्वालधयो रक्तान्तविलोचना मवासा:।
सिंहस्कन्धा स्तन्वल्प कंवला: पृजिता: सुगता:।। (32)
Long tail not heavy, Pink eye lines, heavy breather, small haired, of active temperament, is a good bull.
अनुडहो वृषभ: Ox bullocks for draft power
5.3.4(33) वामा वर्त्तै र्वामे दक्षिणपार्श्वे च दक्षिणावर्त्त्यैः । शुभदा भवन्त्युऽनुडुहो जञ्घाभि श्रैणकनिभाभि: (33)
Easily maneuverable to left & right & reverse, light of thighs like a deer is a good Ox
5.3.5(34) बैडूर्यमाल्लिकाबु दधुदेक्षणा: स्थूलनेत्राचर्माण:।
पार्ष्णिभि रस्फुटिताभि: शस्ता: सर्वेऽपिभारवहा:
Eyes like a cat's eye stone, a bud of Jasmine & a bubble of water & firm stable eyes, skin with firm heavy back make for good load bearing ox
5.3.6(35) घ्राणोद्देशे सवलि मार्जारमुख: सितश्च दक्षिणत:।कमलोत्पलकाभाक्ष: सुबालधिर्वाजितुल्यजव:
Ox having folds of skin on nose, eyes like a feline & a pair of lotus buds; beautiful tail is fast like a horse
5.3.7 (36) लम्बै वृषणै र्मेषो दरश्च सञ्क्षिप्तवञ्क्षणक्रोड:। ज्ञेयो भाराधवस हो जवे श्वतुल्य श्च शस्तफल:
Tall drooling scrotum, tight belly, taught shoulders make a good general purpose Ox.
Attributes (Breeding bulls,cows oxes)
वृषभ: सूक्त -विषय
5.3 Bulls For Breeding
5.3.1.1 AV 9-4-1
Bull Pedigree, breeding soundness
साहस्रस्त्वेष ऋषभः पयस्वान् विश्वा रुपाणि वक्षणासु विभ्रत। भद्रं दात्रे यजमानाय शिक्षन् बार्हस्पत्य उस्रियस्तन्तुमातान्।।
Bull with thousands of attributes like high milk yield healthy & beautiful progeny stored in its body is developed, engaged and set up by charitable, wise men to learn the art of breeding and stretching the line of good progeny of cows with strong healthy bodies.
Visible Marks of undesirable Bulls and cows
(Paninis AshtaDhyai confirms the Parashar samhita.)
5.2 पाराशर: गोलक्षणम्
वृषभ अशुभ वृष कथनम
5.2.1(22) ºÉÉ»ÉÉÊ¤É±É रूक्षक्ष्योमूषकनयनाश्च न शुभ प्रदा गाव:। प्रचलच्चिपिट विषाणां: करटा: खर ºÉqù¶É´ÉhÉÉǶSÉ**1.22
Cow with tearful, dry or rodent look alike eyes with flat or shaking horns, waste products and garbage eating, making sounds form head? Skin ash colored like that of donkey are not expected to sire good cows.
5.2.2(23) दश सप्तचतुर्दन्त्य: प्रलम्बमुण्डानामना विनतपृष्टा श्च ह्रस्वस्थूलग्रीवा यवमधया दारितखुरा श्च
Bulls with ten, seven or four teeth, disproportionately long face, raised hind, short stocky neck, small back, and frayed hoof are not expected to give good results.
5.2.3(24) श्यावाऽतिदीर्घ जिह्वा गुल्फै रति तनुभि रति वृहाद्भि र्वा। अतिकुकुदा: कृशदेहा नेष्टा हीनाधिाकाञ्गय श्च।। (24)
Black & White colored, with long tongue, dwarf or skinny or with incomplete or excessive body parts are not good features of Bulls (Could these references and mention of white and black colored cows be seen as hinting to HF Cows?)
5.2.4(25)
वृषभोऽप्येवं स्थूलातिलंबवृषण: शिराततक्रोड:।
स्थूलशिराचितगण्ड स्त्रिास्थानं महते यश्च।। ;25
Bull with stocky or very pendulous scrotum, ribs showing on stomach, varicose veins on face, oozing from three openings.
(It is confirmed that bulls and cows which swallow indigestible items like plastics keep on drooling from their mouth the undigested materials. This is also a fact that a very small surgery with local anesthesia known as
' rumenotomy' can remove such indigestible foreign matter from a cows' stomach to restore it to normal health)
5.2.5(26) मार्जारक्ष: कपिल: करटो वानशुभदो द्विजस्ये ष्ठः।कृष्णोष्टतालुजिह्व: श्वसनो यूथस्य घातकर:।। (26)
With eyes like that of a cat, brown colored, or crow colored, with black lips, pallet, tongue, short of breath bull does not bring good luck.
5.2.6(27) स्थूलशकृ न्मणिशृन्ग: सितोदर: कृष्णसार वर्णश्च। गृहजातो ऽपि त्याज्यो यूथविनाशावहो वृषभ:।। (27)
stocky anus and horns, white stomach or unusually complexioned bull should not be commissioned even if it is home born.
5.2.7(28) श्यामाक पुष्पचिताञ्गो भस्मा रूणसन्निभो विडालाक्ष:। विप्राणा मपि न शुभं करोति वृषभ: परिगृहीत:।। 28
Small limbed ash brown colored eyes like that of cats are not good as bull
5.2.8(29) ये चो द्धोरन्ति प्रादान् पञ्कादिव योजिता: कृशग्रीवा:। कातरनयना हीना: पृष्टत श्च तेन भारसहा: (29)
Bull which enjoy wallowing in mud & mire, drags his feet while walking, is short necked, small back or scary eyes is not good.
5.3 Good Bull Recognition
शुभ वृष कथनम
Traits of Good Bulls
5.3.1;30 मृदुसंहतता म्रोष्टा स्तनुस्पिफज स्ताम्रतालुजि ह्वाश्च। तनुहस्वो च श्रवण: सुकुक्षय: स्पष्टजंघांश्च।। (30)
Softly closed pinkish lips, small buttocks, pink tongue & pallet, small raised ears beautiful tummy & open thighs.
5.3.2(31) आताम्रसंहतखुरा ब्यूढोरस्का वृहत्ककुद्युक्ता:।
स्निग्धा श्लक्ष्णतनुत्व ग्रोमाण स्तुश्रिंञ्गाः।। (31)
Pinkish hoof, fleshy breast, large hump, shiny small haircoat , bronze colored small horns
5.3.3(32) तनुभूस्पृग्वालधयो रक्तान्तविलोचना मवासा:।
सिंहस्कन्धा स्तन्वल्प कंवला: पृजिता: सुगता:।। (32)
Long tail not heavy, Pink eye lines, heavy breather, small haired, of active temperament, is a good bull.
अनुडहो वृषभ: Ox bullocks for draft power
5.3.4(33) वामा वर्त्तै र्वामे दक्षिणपार्श्वे च दक्षिणावर्त्त्यैः । शुभदा भवन्त्युऽनुडुहो जञ्घाभि श्रैणकनिभाभि: (33)
Easily maneuverable to left & right & reverse, light of thighs like a deer is a good Ox
5.3.5(34) बैडूर्यमाल्लिकाबु दधुदेक्षणा: स्थूलनेत्राचर्माण:।
पार्ष्णिभि रस्फुटिताभि: शस्ता: सर्वेऽपिभारवहा:
Eyes like a cat's eye stone, a bud of Jasmine & a bubble of water & firm stable eyes, skin with firm heavy back make for good load bearing ox
5.3.6(35) घ्राणोद्देशे सवलि मार्जारमुख: सितश्च दक्षिणत:।कमलोत्पलकाभाक्ष: सुबालधिर्वाजितुल्यजव:
Ox having folds of skin on nose, eyes like a feline & a pair of lotus buds; beautiful tail is fast like a horse
5.3.7 (36) लम्बै वृषणै र्मेषो दरश्च सञ्क्षिप्तवञ्क्षणक्रोड:। ज्ञेयो भाराधवस हो जवे श्वतुल्य श्च शस्तफल:
Tall drooling scrotum, tight belly, taught shoulders make a good general purpose Ox.
Question for Indian Scientists
Vedic tradition called Pasture fed Cow’s milk AMRIT.
Ayrveda has also catalogued voluminous benefits of such milk, ranging from Physically, Mentally and Psychologically and Genetically benefitted better society.
Modern western educated veterinary and nutrition experts are suddenly finding all the virtues that our Rishis had described thousands of years ago. Ayurveda has already described in milk from a pasture fed cow of ancient breeds such as an Indian cows.
It is now fully established that only pasture/ green fed cow milk is rich in Omega3. Omega3 is among other things is a precursor for DHA and EPA.
Some of the praise of Imega3 from web sites is being given here.
My very simple question is are the modern western educated scientists not trying to rediscover the wheel when Indian Vedic tradition has already explained all this?
Why do at least our Indian Veterinary and Nutrition scientists not make an effort to read our Sanskrit literature to discover facts that western scientists may take a very long time to find out?
Omega-3’s Immune Health Benefits
The study is said to be the first to show that DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) can affect gene expression to a more anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory status.
Lead researcher Lydia Afman told NutraIngredients: “The most exciting finding of this study is the demonstration of less pro-inflammatory gene expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) after a 6 months fish oil intervention in a healthy elderly population.”
Because PBMCs are immune cells, and play a vital role in inflammation and the development of cardiovascular diseases, the results may go some way to explaining the cardio-protective effects of omega-3 fatty acids.
In addition to a large body of science linking DHA and EPA to improved cardiovascular health, the omega-3 fatty acids have also been linked to reduced risks of certain cancers, good development of a baby during pregnancy, improved joint health, and improved behaviour and mood
Results of the nutrigenomics study are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Study Details
Dr Afman and her co-workers from the Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics Group at Wageningen University recruited 111 healthy Dutch elderly subjects and randomly assigned them to one of three groups: To consume 1.8 or 0.4 g of EPA plus DHA every day (Lipid Nutrition/Loders Croklaan), or to consume 4.0 grams of high-oleic acid sunflower oil per day, for six months.
Microarray analysis of gene expression in PBMCs revealed that that high EPA plus DHA supplement resulted in altered gene expression of 1040 genes, while the sunflower oil supplement altered gene expression of 298 genes.
“Of these genes, 140 were overlapping between the groups, which resulted in 900 uniquely changed genes in the EPA plus DHA group,” said the researchers.
Furthermore, the altered genes were involved in inflammatory- and atherogenic-related pathways, said the researchers.
“These results are the first to show that intake of EPA plus DHA for 26 weeks can alter the gene expression profiles of PBMCs to a more anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic status,” conclyuded the researchers.
Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a major risk factor for CVD.
Implications for Nutrigenomics
Dr Afman told this website: “PBMC gene expression profiles are known to be quite constant within persons but vary between persons in time. Therefore, it is interesting to observe that PBMCs gene expression profiles are susceptible to nutritional changes and represent effects that maybe difficult or even impossible to measure using other techniques.
“PBMC gene expression profiles are therefore promising candidates to be used as biomarkers for nutritional status or systemic metabolic health or - capacity.”
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Omega 3 Influences Personality
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may influence mood, personality and behavior, according to results of a study presented today by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers at the 64th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Denver.
In a study of 106 healthy volunteers, researchers found that participants who had lower blood levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were more likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression, a more negative outlook and be more impulsive. Conversely, those with higher blood levels of omega-3s were found to be more agreeable.
"A number of previous studies have linked low levels of omega-3 to clinically significant conditions such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse and attention deficit disorder," said Sarah Conklin, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar with the Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Program in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "However, few studies have shown that these relationships also occur in healthy adults. This study opens the door for future research looking at what effect increasing omega-3 intake, whether by eating omega-3 rich foods like salmon, or taking fish-oil supplements, has on people's mood."
The American Heart Association recommends that all Americans consume fish, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids, twice per week. This recommendation is based upon evidence that a diet high in fish s associated with improved heart health and reduced risk for heart-related problems. While the cardiovascular benefit of increasing omega-3 intake is well recognized, relatively little is known of the potential mental health effects among the general public.
Comparisons were made by analyzing levels of omega-3 fatty acids in participants' blood and comparing that data to the participants' scores on three accepted tests for depression, impulsiveness and personality. The amount of omega-3 circulating in blood reflects dietary intake of the fatty acid. The study did not require participants to make changes in their normal diet habits.
Ayrveda has also catalogued voluminous benefits of such milk, ranging from Physically, Mentally and Psychologically and Genetically benefitted better society.
Modern western educated veterinary and nutrition experts are suddenly finding all the virtues that our Rishis had described thousands of years ago. Ayurveda has already described in milk from a pasture fed cow of ancient breeds such as an Indian cows.
It is now fully established that only pasture/ green fed cow milk is rich in Omega3. Omega3 is among other things is a precursor for DHA and EPA.
Some of the praise of Imega3 from web sites is being given here.
My very simple question is are the modern western educated scientists not trying to rediscover the wheel when Indian Vedic tradition has already explained all this?
Why do at least our Indian Veterinary and Nutrition scientists not make an effort to read our Sanskrit literature to discover facts that western scientists may take a very long time to find out?
Omega-3’s Immune Health Benefits
The study is said to be the first to show that DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) can affect gene expression to a more anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory status.
Lead researcher Lydia Afman told NutraIngredients: “The most exciting finding of this study is the demonstration of less pro-inflammatory gene expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) after a 6 months fish oil intervention in a healthy elderly population.”
Because PBMCs are immune cells, and play a vital role in inflammation and the development of cardiovascular diseases, the results may go some way to explaining the cardio-protective effects of omega-3 fatty acids.
In addition to a large body of science linking DHA and EPA to improved cardiovascular health, the omega-3 fatty acids have also been linked to reduced risks of certain cancers, good development of a baby during pregnancy, improved joint health, and improved behaviour and mood
Results of the nutrigenomics study are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Study Details
Dr Afman and her co-workers from the Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics Group at Wageningen University recruited 111 healthy Dutch elderly subjects and randomly assigned them to one of three groups: To consume 1.8 or 0.4 g of EPA plus DHA every day (Lipid Nutrition/Loders Croklaan), or to consume 4.0 grams of high-oleic acid sunflower oil per day, for six months.
Microarray analysis of gene expression in PBMCs revealed that that high EPA plus DHA supplement resulted in altered gene expression of 1040 genes, while the sunflower oil supplement altered gene expression of 298 genes.
“Of these genes, 140 were overlapping between the groups, which resulted in 900 uniquely changed genes in the EPA plus DHA group,” said the researchers.
Furthermore, the altered genes were involved in inflammatory- and atherogenic-related pathways, said the researchers.
“These results are the first to show that intake of EPA plus DHA for 26 weeks can alter the gene expression profiles of PBMCs to a more anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic status,” conclyuded the researchers.
Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a major risk factor for CVD.
Implications for Nutrigenomics
Dr Afman told this website: “PBMC gene expression profiles are known to be quite constant within persons but vary between persons in time. Therefore, it is interesting to observe that PBMCs gene expression profiles are susceptible to nutritional changes and represent effects that maybe difficult or even impossible to measure using other techniques.
“PBMC gene expression profiles are therefore promising candidates to be used as biomarkers for nutritional status or systemic metabolic health or - capacity.”
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Omega 3 Influences Personality
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may influence mood, personality and behavior, according to results of a study presented today by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers at the 64th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Denver.
In a study of 106 healthy volunteers, researchers found that participants who had lower blood levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were more likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression, a more negative outlook and be more impulsive. Conversely, those with higher blood levels of omega-3s were found to be more agreeable.
"A number of previous studies have linked low levels of omega-3 to clinically significant conditions such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse and attention deficit disorder," said Sarah Conklin, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar with the Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Program in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "However, few studies have shown that these relationships also occur in healthy adults. This study opens the door for future research looking at what effect increasing omega-3 intake, whether by eating omega-3 rich foods like salmon, or taking fish-oil supplements, has on people's mood."
The American Heart Association recommends that all Americans consume fish, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids, twice per week. This recommendation is based upon evidence that a diet high in fish s associated with improved heart health and reduced risk for heart-related problems. While the cardiovascular benefit of increasing omega-3 intake is well recognized, relatively little is known of the potential mental health effects among the general public.
Comparisons were made by analyzing levels of omega-3 fatty acids in participants' blood and comparing that data to the participants' scores on three accepted tests for depression, impulsiveness and personality. The amount of omega-3 circulating in blood reflects dietary intake of the fatty acid. The study did not require participants to make changes in their normal diet habits.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
reinventing Indian cow Cartenoids image
Carotenoids are present only in Cow's Milk. But Carotenoids are present only when the cows are fed on Green fodder such as in Pastures.
Reinventing Indian Cow Images
Only Pasture/Green fodder fed cows have Omega3 and Omega 6 in equal measures. Omega3 content of greens/pasture fed cows is 500 time higher than in cows stall fed and fed with concentrated feed.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Reinventing Indian Cow
Reinventing Indian Cow
We Indians have sincerely believed in the dictum; अमृतं किम् गोपय:, & गावो विश्वस्य मातर: - Cow’s milk is ambrosia and Cow is universal mother..
Under foreign influences our society became more “progressive and learned”. We lost our faith in Vedic traditions and values. We became a nation of skeptics. Cow’ milk is no longer sincerely considered अमृत.
But despite all that India continues to be a nation where majority consists of vegetarians, and cow milk lovers. Every Indian craves for a glass of pure Milk and curd. Our wise veterinary experts have worked hard to establish modern strategies to meet the country’s unending craving for milk. Anticipated growth in demand for milk in India is driving the entire world’s business leaders to India to share in the profits of Milk industry.
It is attempted in this note to;
1. Bringing awareness about virtues of Indian Cow’s milk and some truth about buffalo milk.
2. Under the altered conditions prevailing today-what can be best strategy for future.
About Buffalos
During the times of Alexander’s invasion, Greek soldiers in North Western India discovered swamp water buffalo. They found that it could be milked, and when dry could be slaughtered for meat also. Indians never objected to slaughter of buffalos even in those days. This is still true and the main reason that culling of buffalo is never considered a problem. Buffalo milk thus got acceptance in India under “western Greek wisdom”. Indian subcontinent enjoys the dubious distinction of being the first in world for domesticating water buffalos and promoting buffalo milk and milk products in the world- though mindlessly.
At long last, it is matter of real satisfaction that the doubting educated Indians have now to contend with modern scientific researches that establish beyond any shadow of doubt that Indian Cow’s milk with the cows brought up in ancient Indian styles is indeed Nectar of gods. Buffalo milk is no patch on this. In fact buffalo milk is more harmful than still realized by average educated veterinary Indian dairy experts.
The traditional concept of self feeding of cows in pastures is the most Scientific and Economical method of keeping cows.
According to modern science following are the most significant factors that weigh in favor of Indian cow’s milk to the exclusion of Buffalo milk.
1. Carotenoids
2. BCM7 Free A2 milk
3. Vitamin D
Carotenoids
Carotenoids in general perform the following roles in human health.
• Protect human body cells from the damaging effects of free radicals
• Provide a source of vitamin A
• Enhance the functioning of immune system
• Help reproductive system function properly
It is now accepted that cow’s milk is rich in Carotenoids. In humans, four carotenoids (beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, gamma-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin) have vitamin A activity (meaning they can be converted to retinal), and these and other carotenoids can also act as antioxidants. In the eye, certain other carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) apparently act directly to absorb damaging blue and near-ultraviolet light, in order to protect the macula lutea, i.e. protects eyes against Cataract and Age related macular degeneration.
It is also established that Buffaloes milk though rich in Vitamin A does not transfer Cartenoids to their milk. Thus Indian dairy milk that is nearly 70% buffalo milk is deficient in large number of Carotenoids. The deficiency of Lutein and Zeaxanthin Cartenoids caused by Dairy Milk is associated with high incidence of Cataract and Age Related Macular Degeneration among Indian population.
Only Green Fodder produces Carotenoids in Milk
• It is also confirmed that Carotenoid level in milk is directly related to the feeding of green grass to cows. All efforts of veterinary nutrition scientists in creating concentrated feed formulations of Dairy cows are unidirectional. They can enhance the total fat contents and also total quantity of milk of a cow. But the best of cow feed formulations have so far failed to add any Carotenoids to milk.
• Diet supplements by synthetic Carotenoids have very limited success to provide help with eye problems of cataract and macular degeneration. It is now very clear that health of human eyes can be protected only by natural Carotenoids present in Cow’s in milk.
2. A2 Milk –BCM7 Free
A2 Milk is known to be natural produce of the original ancient breeds of cows namely Indian African humped cattle.
International A1A2 milk breeds study
• This makes it clear that like milk of Indian cows, Guernsey milk is also A2A2 type. Milk of Brown Swiss, Jersey are A2A1- but closer to A2 type. These cows are like the best of Indian breeds of cows and produce milk in the range of 5000 liters per lactation. 12 lactations from Jersey cows is not considered unusual.
• Holstein, Friesen & Milking Shorthorn are A1 type milk producers. HF breeds have been known to produce 15000 liters or even more of milk. This fact alone has made HF breed darling of world Dairy Industry. But it is forgotten that after 3 or 4 lactations these cows are sent for slaughter in western countries, because at that stage such high milk yielding cows become uneconomical to maintain. Can we in India afford to follow such western Dairy strategies?
For improving the milk yield of cows, breeding by better bulls is an old Indian tradition. Cross breeding with better species of bulls is to be accepted for speedier development of good milk producing cows, as long as it does not damage the genetics of our Indian cow.
AI and ET are marvels of modern science for portability of good bull’s procreating abilities. Indian Govt. since 1951 has introduced these modern ideas in India with great enthusiasm to vastly improve very quickly the milk yield of Indian cows. But in the process it has almost lost sight of a few very significant facts.
• Firstly development of a stock of good natural service breeding bulls is almost forgotten. It is feared that good breeding bulls are liable to become extinct from the Indian scene.
• Delivery system of AI has been mostly in Govt. hands. Overall efficiency of AI operations has not been better than 25%. This has resulted in increased burden on farmers of prolonged dry period of cows, and has also increased incidence of infertility in cows.
• In anxiety and hurry of single minded milk enhancing capability by AI hardly any attention has been paid to the genetic compatibility of the sperm donor bulls. Aim is to cross breed with highest milk producer exotic breed. (Ignoring the A1 A2 milk aspect)
• Inbreeding and certain Zoonotic diseases that are caused cryophilic infections in frozen semen straws cannot be avoided in AI techniques.
For India our breeding policy should be based on first making use of high milk yielding Indian breeds of cows.
• Natural Service is still very important for a large country like India. Despite more than past 60 years of vigorous promotion of AI, only 20% cows and 10% buffalos in India are reported to have AI services available.
• Gir in India is said to have recorded 6000 liters and Sahiwal up to 5000 liters in one lactation period. In fact Brazil and Israel prize their Gir for bringing about improvement of their cattle. For Dairy farms in India these Indian breeds offer the first choice for upgrading.
• Good male calves of pedigree Gir and Sahiwal lines should also be made available for large Goshalas to raise them as bulls for natural Service.
• In addition to Govt. Bull Producing Farms, large NGO institutions such as Goshalas should also be utilized in the bull production effort. Bull production for natural service was an active mandate of Govt. of India in late 1990s. But seems to have been forgotten now.
• Next come the modern interventions of AI and ET techniques for propagating good Indian high milk yielding cows of Gir and Sahiwal lines.
• To speed up and further augment our breeding options foreign cows Guernsey, Jersey and Brown Swiss that are of A2 breeds may be considered for cross breeding in India.
• Holstein, Friesen and Short horns being A1 milk producers should not be considered for cross breeding in India.
Pasture Feeding
Bounties showered by cows cover a very big canvas. Cow milk is more of a medicine than just body building food. It not only improved disease immunity but also builds the mental brilliance for which Indians are still recognized the world over. Only pasture fed cow’s milk has been proved by modern science to have best medicinal and nutritive value. This is possible only in pasture fed Cow’s milk. Pasture feed is also the most effective method of reducing cost of milk production.
Dhiman, T.R., G.R. Anand. L. D. Satter and M.W.Pariza.(1999) “Conjugated Linoleic Acid content of Milk from cows Fed Different Diets.”J Dairy Sci. 82(10); 2146-56
Only Pasture/Green fodder fed cows have Omega3 and Omega 6 in equal measures. Omega3 content of greens/pasture fed cows is 500 time higher than in cows stall fed and fed with concentrated feed.
On Vitamin D (courtesy New York Times)
Every tissue in the body, including the brain, heart, muscles and immune system, has receptors for vitamin D, meaning that this nutrient is needed at proper levels for these tissues to function well.
Studies indicate that the effects of a vitamin D deficiency include an elevated risk of developing (and dying from) cancers of the colon, breast and prostate; high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease; osteoarthritis; and immune-system abnormalities that can result in infections and autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
With changed life style when most people spend more time indoors, exposure to natural sunlight is reduced to very minimum. This causes a universal deficiency of vitamin D in all people. Only milk of cows, goat, and sheep is rich in Vitamin D and hence consuming cow’s milk is one of the best and easiest sources of Vitamin D for human beings. Buffalo milk has no vitamin D in it. Supply of Dairy that consists of mainly buffalo milk to Indian population is contributing the rising incidence of diseases caused by Vitamin D deficiency namely- Hear trouble, Diabetes, Cancer etc. as mentioned above.
Prospects of pastures in India
India had a long history of Pastures on common property community lands. They vanished under land grab greed and ineffective administration to provide community property protection. Indian tradition also made available forests near the habitats as pastures. But under the ’modern’ Indian Forest policies this is not possible.
Indian Forest Policy
Traditionally in India as give in Vedas and Kautilya's Artha Shastra;
prevented man animal conflict,
• allowed self maintained pastures for cattle to feed,
• allowed forest surroundings to establish old age homes,
• specialized advance learning educational, sports training institutions
• reserve forests for wild life preservation.
For this the forests were treated in following categories.
1. Forests in the vicinity of habitat:
1.1 People with their domesticated cows were allowed free access to these forest areas. Roughly these forest areas were said to be about 3 miles deep. This was considered the distance up to which a cow's voice could be heard. Cow care givers- mostly ladies- would lead the cows in to this forest area. Cows would freely feed themselves on herbs and green undergrowth.
1.2 Ladies would be busy cutting the lower branches of the trees. This served many purposes. Firstly, the leaves would provide additional fodder for the cows. Secondly, by lopping off the lower branches of the trees, sun light could reach the forest floor. This allowed photosynthesis and growth of green ground cover. Rich undergrowth ground cover stabilized the soil by its roots, and prevented soil erosion, floods and landslides. The rotting vegetation on the ground was rich in bacteria such as Pseudomonas Syringe. This bacterium ensured good rains in the forests. In the evening when the cows with ladies returned to their dwellings back from forests with carts laden with chopped branches, the leaves were used as fodder, the wood was used for fuel in household.
2. One area of Forests was reserved for social forestry.
3.One area was fenced in to provide as sports and game resort.
4. Deep forest area was the reserve forest for big beasts and carnivore. This area was suitably fenced to prevent the wild life from straying out in to other semi inhabited areas.
Pastures in India today
Ancient Indians knew the importance of cows foraging in the peripheral forests on green herbs undergrowth and leaf fodder. The Cow dung and cow urine kept the soil in theses forest areas in good health. Indian forest authorities think that by allowing the cows in to the forests and the ladies cutting the lower branches of trees there, the forests are being damaged. To discourage this practice, the Indian forest departments have been replacing leaf fodder trees with planting inedible leaf trees like Pine. The pine needles falling from the trees completely mulch the ground and do not allow any green ground cover. With no green ground cover, no Pseudomonas Syringe the rain bearing clouds pass over the forest lands without shedding their loads of water. With no soil stabilization by ground cover land erosion and landslides become common occurrences. Good green forests fast turn in to deserts.
Cows are deprived of cheap healthy feed. These results in dependence on money to meet the house hold needs that were available free and forests fast turning in to deserts.
Good orchards like mango orchards would also have not been rendered old and useless if cows were allowed to go there. The cutting of lower branches would have allowed better ground cover for the cows to graze and keep the land healthy by deposits of cow dung and urine.
Hydroponics Fodder
• Technological innovation of Hydroponics fodder is the most appropriate intervention to augment availability of green fodder as an unavoidable but practical alternative to pastures, Global warming and vagaries of nature to ensure regular 365 days all year supply of green fodder for cows.
• Considering the vast area of land required for pastures, and lesser priority to fodder than food crops growing on farm lands, Hydroponics Fodder offers tremendous savings on requirement of not only land but also water for growing green fodder.
• Today village youth do not like to involve in agriculture due to manual physical hard labor involved in farm work. On this account Hydroponics fodder growing offers an alternative factory style livelihood option and create more self employment opportunities in rural areas.
Hydroponics Fodder in India
• Govt. of India had in late 1980s imported half a dozen ’Fometa’ Hydroponics Fodder devices for Indian research establishments of ICAR. Also reported to have been made some efforts to import 50 more Fometa devices as kits to be assembled in India. All these had been scrapped many years ago.
• Each Fometa occupied 30Sq Mtrs. of space and was designed to produce 1000 Kg of highly nutritious clean green fodder of more than 85% digestibility.
• Fometa was designed to operate in European climate, and required about 6 KVA of electric power to operate. Mainly due to irregular electrical supply availability these Fodder devices could not be used for regular reliable daily supply of green fodder. But records are available of Fometa producing the designed quantity of fodder when operated properly.
• Little or no effort was made to re-engineer the design of Fometa to make it energy efficient and suitable for Indian climate zones. The scheme was dropped like a hot potato or a dream gone sour due to bureaucratic ineptitude. No authority in India today wants to give this marvel of a modern agriculture innovation a look in India.
• Private individual initiatives have shown very promising low cost green alternative possibilities of Hydroponics fodder production in India, and need to be encouraged in national interest.
We Indians have sincerely believed in the dictum; अमृतं किम् गोपय:, & गावो विश्वस्य मातर: - Cow’s milk is ambrosia and Cow is universal mother..
Under foreign influences our society became more “progressive and learned”. We lost our faith in Vedic traditions and values. We became a nation of skeptics. Cow’ milk is no longer sincerely considered अमृत.
But despite all that India continues to be a nation where majority consists of vegetarians, and cow milk lovers. Every Indian craves for a glass of pure Milk and curd. Our wise veterinary experts have worked hard to establish modern strategies to meet the country’s unending craving for milk. Anticipated growth in demand for milk in India is driving the entire world’s business leaders to India to share in the profits of Milk industry.
It is attempted in this note to;
1. Bringing awareness about virtues of Indian Cow’s milk and some truth about buffalo milk.
2. Under the altered conditions prevailing today-what can be best strategy for future.
About Buffalos
During the times of Alexander’s invasion, Greek soldiers in North Western India discovered swamp water buffalo. They found that it could be milked, and when dry could be slaughtered for meat also. Indians never objected to slaughter of buffalos even in those days. This is still true and the main reason that culling of buffalo is never considered a problem. Buffalo milk thus got acceptance in India under “western Greek wisdom”. Indian subcontinent enjoys the dubious distinction of being the first in world for domesticating water buffalos and promoting buffalo milk and milk products in the world- though mindlessly.
At long last, it is matter of real satisfaction that the doubting educated Indians have now to contend with modern scientific researches that establish beyond any shadow of doubt that Indian Cow’s milk with the cows brought up in ancient Indian styles is indeed Nectar of gods. Buffalo milk is no patch on this. In fact buffalo milk is more harmful than still realized by average educated veterinary Indian dairy experts.
The traditional concept of self feeding of cows in pastures is the most Scientific and Economical method of keeping cows.
According to modern science following are the most significant factors that weigh in favor of Indian cow’s milk to the exclusion of Buffalo milk.
1. Carotenoids
2. BCM7 Free A2 milk
3. Vitamin D
Carotenoids
Carotenoids in general perform the following roles in human health.
• Protect human body cells from the damaging effects of free radicals
• Provide a source of vitamin A
• Enhance the functioning of immune system
• Help reproductive system function properly
It is now accepted that cow’s milk is rich in Carotenoids. In humans, four carotenoids (beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, gamma-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin) have vitamin A activity (meaning they can be converted to retinal), and these and other carotenoids can also act as antioxidants. In the eye, certain other carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) apparently act directly to absorb damaging blue and near-ultraviolet light, in order to protect the macula lutea, i.e. protects eyes against Cataract and Age related macular degeneration.
It is also established that Buffaloes milk though rich in Vitamin A does not transfer Cartenoids to their milk. Thus Indian dairy milk that is nearly 70% buffalo milk is deficient in large number of Carotenoids. The deficiency of Lutein and Zeaxanthin Cartenoids caused by Dairy Milk is associated with high incidence of Cataract and Age Related Macular Degeneration among Indian population.
Only Green Fodder produces Carotenoids in Milk
• It is also confirmed that Carotenoid level in milk is directly related to the feeding of green grass to cows. All efforts of veterinary nutrition scientists in creating concentrated feed formulations of Dairy cows are unidirectional. They can enhance the total fat contents and also total quantity of milk of a cow. But the best of cow feed formulations have so far failed to add any Carotenoids to milk.
• Diet supplements by synthetic Carotenoids have very limited success to provide help with eye problems of cataract and macular degeneration. It is now very clear that health of human eyes can be protected only by natural Carotenoids present in Cow’s in milk.
2. A2 Milk –BCM7 Free
A2 Milk is known to be natural produce of the original ancient breeds of cows namely Indian African humped cattle.
International A1A2 milk breeds study
• This makes it clear that like milk of Indian cows, Guernsey milk is also A2A2 type. Milk of Brown Swiss, Jersey are A2A1- but closer to A2 type. These cows are like the best of Indian breeds of cows and produce milk in the range of 5000 liters per lactation. 12 lactations from Jersey cows is not considered unusual.
• Holstein, Friesen & Milking Shorthorn are A1 type milk producers. HF breeds have been known to produce 15000 liters or even more of milk. This fact alone has made HF breed darling of world Dairy Industry. But it is forgotten that after 3 or 4 lactations these cows are sent for slaughter in western countries, because at that stage such high milk yielding cows become uneconomical to maintain. Can we in India afford to follow such western Dairy strategies?
For improving the milk yield of cows, breeding by better bulls is an old Indian tradition. Cross breeding with better species of bulls is to be accepted for speedier development of good milk producing cows, as long as it does not damage the genetics of our Indian cow.
AI and ET are marvels of modern science for portability of good bull’s procreating abilities. Indian Govt. since 1951 has introduced these modern ideas in India with great enthusiasm to vastly improve very quickly the milk yield of Indian cows. But in the process it has almost lost sight of a few very significant facts.
• Firstly development of a stock of good natural service breeding bulls is almost forgotten. It is feared that good breeding bulls are liable to become extinct from the Indian scene.
• Delivery system of AI has been mostly in Govt. hands. Overall efficiency of AI operations has not been better than 25%. This has resulted in increased burden on farmers of prolonged dry period of cows, and has also increased incidence of infertility in cows.
• In anxiety and hurry of single minded milk enhancing capability by AI hardly any attention has been paid to the genetic compatibility of the sperm donor bulls. Aim is to cross breed with highest milk producer exotic breed. (Ignoring the A1 A2 milk aspect)
• Inbreeding and certain Zoonotic diseases that are caused cryophilic infections in frozen semen straws cannot be avoided in AI techniques.
For India our breeding policy should be based on first making use of high milk yielding Indian breeds of cows.
• Natural Service is still very important for a large country like India. Despite more than past 60 years of vigorous promotion of AI, only 20% cows and 10% buffalos in India are reported to have AI services available.
• Gir in India is said to have recorded 6000 liters and Sahiwal up to 5000 liters in one lactation period. In fact Brazil and Israel prize their Gir for bringing about improvement of their cattle. For Dairy farms in India these Indian breeds offer the first choice for upgrading.
• Good male calves of pedigree Gir and Sahiwal lines should also be made available for large Goshalas to raise them as bulls for natural Service.
• In addition to Govt. Bull Producing Farms, large NGO institutions such as Goshalas should also be utilized in the bull production effort. Bull production for natural service was an active mandate of Govt. of India in late 1990s. But seems to have been forgotten now.
• Next come the modern interventions of AI and ET techniques for propagating good Indian high milk yielding cows of Gir and Sahiwal lines.
• To speed up and further augment our breeding options foreign cows Guernsey, Jersey and Brown Swiss that are of A2 breeds may be considered for cross breeding in India.
• Holstein, Friesen and Short horns being A1 milk producers should not be considered for cross breeding in India.
Pasture Feeding
Bounties showered by cows cover a very big canvas. Cow milk is more of a medicine than just body building food. It not only improved disease immunity but also builds the mental brilliance for which Indians are still recognized the world over. Only pasture fed cow’s milk has been proved by modern science to have best medicinal and nutritive value. This is possible only in pasture fed Cow’s milk. Pasture feed is also the most effective method of reducing cost of milk production.
Dhiman, T.R., G.R. Anand. L. D. Satter and M.W.Pariza.(1999) “Conjugated Linoleic Acid content of Milk from cows Fed Different Diets.”J Dairy Sci. 82(10); 2146-56
Only Pasture/Green fodder fed cows have Omega3 and Omega 6 in equal measures. Omega3 content of greens/pasture fed cows is 500 time higher than in cows stall fed and fed with concentrated feed.
Every tissue in the body, including the brain, heart, muscles and immune system, has receptors for vitamin D, meaning that this nutrient is needed at proper levels for these tissues to function well.
Studies indicate that the effects of a vitamin D deficiency include an elevated risk of developing (and dying from) cancers of the colon, breast and prostate; high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease; osteoarthritis; and immune-system abnormalities that can result in infections and autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
With changed life style when most people spend more time indoors, exposure to natural sunlight is reduced to very minimum. This causes a universal deficiency of vitamin D in all people. Only milk of cows, goat, and sheep is rich in Vitamin D and hence consuming cow’s milk is one of the best and easiest sources of Vitamin D for human beings. Buffalo milk has no vitamin D in it. Supply of Dairy that consists of mainly buffalo milk to Indian population is contributing the rising incidence of diseases caused by Vitamin D deficiency namely- Hear trouble, Diabetes, Cancer etc. as mentioned above.
Prospects of pastures in India
India had a long history of Pastures on common property community lands. They vanished under land grab greed and ineffective administration to provide community property protection. Indian tradition also made available forests near the habitats as pastures. But under the ’modern’ Indian Forest policies this is not possible.
Indian Forest Policy
Traditionally in India as give in Vedas and Kautilya's Artha Shastra;
prevented man animal conflict,
• allowed self maintained pastures for cattle to feed,
• allowed forest surroundings to establish old age homes,
• specialized advance learning educational, sports training institutions
• reserve forests for wild life preservation.
For this the forests were treated in following categories.
1. Forests in the vicinity of habitat:
1.1 People with their domesticated cows were allowed free access to these forest areas. Roughly these forest areas were said to be about 3 miles deep. This was considered the distance up to which a cow's voice could be heard. Cow care givers- mostly ladies- would lead the cows in to this forest area. Cows would freely feed themselves on herbs and green undergrowth.
1.2 Ladies would be busy cutting the lower branches of the trees. This served many purposes. Firstly, the leaves would provide additional fodder for the cows. Secondly, by lopping off the lower branches of the trees, sun light could reach the forest floor. This allowed photosynthesis and growth of green ground cover. Rich undergrowth ground cover stabilized the soil by its roots, and prevented soil erosion, floods and landslides. The rotting vegetation on the ground was rich in bacteria such as Pseudomonas Syringe. This bacterium ensured good rains in the forests. In the evening when the cows with ladies returned to their dwellings back from forests with carts laden with chopped branches, the leaves were used as fodder, the wood was used for fuel in household.
2. One area of Forests was reserved for social forestry.
3.One area was fenced in to provide as sports and game resort.
4. Deep forest area was the reserve forest for big beasts and carnivore. This area was suitably fenced to prevent the wild life from straying out in to other semi inhabited areas.
Pastures in India today
Ancient Indians knew the importance of cows foraging in the peripheral forests on green herbs undergrowth and leaf fodder. The Cow dung and cow urine kept the soil in theses forest areas in good health. Indian forest authorities think that by allowing the cows in to the forests and the ladies cutting the lower branches of trees there, the forests are being damaged. To discourage this practice, the Indian forest departments have been replacing leaf fodder trees with planting inedible leaf trees like Pine. The pine needles falling from the trees completely mulch the ground and do not allow any green ground cover. With no green ground cover, no Pseudomonas Syringe the rain bearing clouds pass over the forest lands without shedding their loads of water. With no soil stabilization by ground cover land erosion and landslides become common occurrences. Good green forests fast turn in to deserts.
Cows are deprived of cheap healthy feed. These results in dependence on money to meet the house hold needs that were available free and forests fast turning in to deserts.
Good orchards like mango orchards would also have not been rendered old and useless if cows were allowed to go there. The cutting of lower branches would have allowed better ground cover for the cows to graze and keep the land healthy by deposits of cow dung and urine.
Hydroponics Fodder
• Technological innovation of Hydroponics fodder is the most appropriate intervention to augment availability of green fodder as an unavoidable but practical alternative to pastures, Global warming and vagaries of nature to ensure regular 365 days all year supply of green fodder for cows.
• Considering the vast area of land required for pastures, and lesser priority to fodder than food crops growing on farm lands, Hydroponics Fodder offers tremendous savings on requirement of not only land but also water for growing green fodder.
• Today village youth do not like to involve in agriculture due to manual physical hard labor involved in farm work. On this account Hydroponics fodder growing offers an alternative factory style livelihood option and create more self employment opportunities in rural areas.
Hydroponics Fodder in India
• Govt. of India had in late 1980s imported half a dozen ’Fometa’ Hydroponics Fodder devices for Indian research establishments of ICAR. Also reported to have been made some efforts to import 50 more Fometa devices as kits to be assembled in India. All these had been scrapped many years ago.
• Each Fometa occupied 30Sq Mtrs. of space and was designed to produce 1000 Kg of highly nutritious clean green fodder of more than 85% digestibility.
• Fometa was designed to operate in European climate, and required about 6 KVA of electric power to operate. Mainly due to irregular electrical supply availability these Fodder devices could not be used for regular reliable daily supply of green fodder. But records are available of Fometa producing the designed quantity of fodder when operated properly.
• Little or no effort was made to re-engineer the design of Fometa to make it energy efficient and suitable for Indian climate zones. The scheme was dropped like a hot potato or a dream gone sour due to bureaucratic ineptitude. No authority in India today wants to give this marvel of a modern agriculture innovation a look in India.
• Private individual initiatives have shown very promising low cost green alternative possibilities of Hydroponics fodder production in India, and need to be encouraged in national interest.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Cow Feeding Strategies in Indian traditions
Vedic Cow feeding strategies
Cow Feeding practices in Indian Vedic traditions
From time immemorial it is worldwide wisdom that Fresh Raw Milk –धारोष्ण गो दुग्ध is the best and complete diet. अमृतं किम् गोपय:, our tradition called Cow’s Milk- Ambrosia - अमृत. Vedas sang paeans of it.
Old age was like wear and tear of mechanisms of the human body. The self degenerating human diseases such as –Obesity, Diabetes, Cancer, Arthrosclerosis, Bone porosity, Cardiac Heart Troubles did not exist.
India is the land of world’s oldest surviving continuous civilization. The underlying secret extolled by Vedas is the Indian tradition of vegetarian diet and domesticated cow in every household. This wisdom of India is a gift to the modern world.
Modern science tells us that pesticide free Green Grass Fed cow’s Milk is rich in CLA and in diet Organic fresh raw food are the sustainable alternatives.
According to Vedas this was achieved by Cows that were self fed in pastures. परा मे यन्ति धीतयो गावो गव्यूतीरनु | इच्छन्ति रुरुचक्षसम् || ऋ1.25.16. Vedas are also here talking of cows’ instincts of selecting particular grasses in mixed pasture herbages. Rig veda elaborates on this to describe an ideal pasture as
“मयोभूर्वातो अभि वातूस्रा ऊर्जस्वतीरोषधीरा रिशन्ताम |
पीवस्वतीर्जीवधन्या: पिबन्त्ववसाय पद्वते मृळ || ऋ 10.169.1”
“In pasture while being self fed-With salubrious winds wafting over them Cows partake of medicinal herbs as their feed. They have access to divine waters (fresh stream waters) that bless and their feet tread on ground that makes them free of any disease.”
According to ‘Nutrition and Physical Degeneration’ by Weston A. Price, D.D.S. as cows feed in pastures ‘Animal Instincts are Helpful in Meeting Their Nutritional Needs’. Instincts for wise choice of food are still retained by the animals in spite of our attempts to convert the Cow into a Chemical Engineering establishment, wherein her ration is as simple as “Urea and phosphoric acid mixed with carbohydrates and proteins” however crude. And add mineral mixtures if you like.
Milk, because of its role in reproduction as yet cannot be reduced to the simplicity of Chemical Engineering. This in brief is the About Forests as Pastures- Medicinal qualities of milk of cows when pasture fed is confirmed by modern science as given here;Cow Feeding practices in Indian Vedic traditions
From time immemorial it is worldwide wisdom that Fresh Raw Milk –धारोष्ण गो दुग्ध is the best and complete diet. अमृतं किम् गोपय:, our tradition called Cow’s Milk- Ambrosia - अमृत. Vedas sang paeans of it.
Old age was like wear and tear of mechanisms of the human body. The self degenerating human diseases such as –Obesity, Diabetes, Cancer, Arthrosclerosis, Bone porosity, Cardiac Heart Troubles did not exist.
India is the land of world’s oldest surviving continuous civilization. The underlying secret extolled by Vedas is the Indian tradition of vegetarian diet and domesticated cow in every household. This wisdom of India is a gift to the modern world.
Modern science tells us that pesticide free Green Grass Fed cow’s Milk is rich in CLA and in diet Organic fresh raw food are the sustainable alternatives.
According to Vedas this was achieved by Cows that were self fed in pastures. परा मे यन्ति धीतयो गावो गव्यूतीरनु | इच्छन्ति रुरुचक्षसम् || ऋ1.25.16. Vedas are also here talking of cows’ instincts of selecting particular grasses in mixed pasture herbages. Rig veda elaborates on this to describe an ideal pasture as
“मयोभूर्वातो अभि वातूस्रा ऊर्जस्वतीरोषधीरा रिशन्ताम |
पीवस्वतीर्जीवधन्या: पिबन्त्ववसाय पद्वते मृळ || ऋ 10.169.1”
“In pasture while being self fed-With salubrious winds wafting over them Cows partake of medicinal herbs as their feed. They have access to divine waters (fresh stream waters) that bless and their feet tread on ground that makes them free of any disease.”
According to ‘Nutrition and Physical Degeneration’ by Weston A. Price, D.D.S. as cows feed in pastures ‘Animal Instincts are Helpful in Meeting Their Nutritional Needs’. Instincts for wise choice of food are still retained by the animals in spite of our attempts to convert the Cow into a Chemical Engineering establishment, wherein her ration is as simple as “Urea and phosphoric acid mixed with carbohydrates and proteins” however crude. And add mineral mixtures if you like.
Milk, because of its role in reproduction as yet cannot be reduced to the simplicity of Chemical Engineering. This in brief is the About Forests as Pastures- Medicinal qualities of milk of cows when pasture fed is confirmed by modern science as given here;
Vedas on Pastures and Forestsअरण्यों का गोचर महत्व
RV 10-146-3
उत गाव इवादन्युत वेश्मेव दृष्यते।
उतो अरण्यानि: सायं शकटीरिव सर्जति।। ऋ 10-146-3
Cow with other animals find sustenance in the wild like in their homes, and when in the evening carts laden with forest produce emerge they return to their home, as if the gods in forests are sending them back to their homes with carts laden with bounties of the forests.
RV 10-146-4
गामङ्गैष आ ह्व्यति दार्वङ्गैषो अपावधीत।
वसन्नरण्यान्यां सायक्रुक्षदितिं मन्यते ।। ऋ 10-146-4
The gods of forest as if give directions to the cows from not going astray, and allow men to cut down on some trees. (It is now accepted that branches of trees should be regularly lopped off. This provides leaf fodder for cows, and fire wood for rural women. There a great advantage hidden in the practice of pruning forest trees. This allows sun light to reach the ground level to facilitate undergrowth in forests. This undergrowth not only stabilizes the forest soil. This prevents soil erosion that results in Landslides and Floods. Green Undergrowth ground cover also gives rise to Pseudomonas Syringe bacteria that ensure regular rains in forests.)Those who chose to make their dwellings in forest are subject to hearing fearful noises in the darkness of the nights.
RV 10-138-2
अवासृज: प्रस्व: श्वञ्चयो गिरिनुदाज उस्रा अपिबो मधु प्रियम।
अवर्धयो वनिनो अस्य दंससा शुशोच सूर्यं ऋतजातया गिरा।।
Mountains have prompted clouds to release their loads, to provide growth of the forests, and for the cows to partake of these sweet bounties. The cows have delivered their calves in the forest caves, and by the actions of Sun and rains this process has been doubly blessed.
5.1.1.4 RV 10-27-8
गावो यवं प्रयुता अर्यो अक्षन् ता अपश्यं सहगोपाश्चरन्तीः ।
हवा इदर्यो अभितः समायन्कियदासु स्वपतिश्छ्न्दयाते स्वपतिश्छन्दयाते।।ऋ10.27.8
The herd of cows under the care of the herdsman, are feeding themselves beyond sight ( in pasture) , on being called back they return to the homes of their owners to bless with plentiful bounties.
5.1.4 RV 10-100-1
ऊर्जं गावो यवसे पीवो अत्तन ऋतस्य या: सदने कोशे अङ्ध्वे !
तनूरेव तन्वो अस्तु भेषजमा सर्वतातिमदितिं वृणीमहे !!ऋ10.100.1
RV 10-100-10
Cows as you loiter around to graze in the greens to feed, to gather all the medicinal and nutritive components for your body, so that we are always blessed with a medicinal and brain building gifts. ( here reference is to high EFA-CLA milk , which is possible only with Green fodder .
This confirmed by the modern science as given below;
Dhiman,T.R., G.R. Anand . L. D. Satter and M.W.Pariza.(1999) “Conjugated Linoleic Acid content of Milk from cows Fed Different Diets.”J Dairy Sci 82(10);2146-56) 5.2.0 About forest pastures (From panini Ashta Dyayi )
Planned breeding of Cows
5.2.0.1 PA 1-2-7 3ग्राम्यपशुसङ्घेष्वतरुणेषु स्त्री ।।
It appears that only cows were allowed to go out in the pastures, unaccompanied with male calves or Bulls. (This obviously helped to prevent indiscriminate breeding)
5.2.0.2 PA 3-3-74 निपानमहाव:
Special arrangements were provided to arrange water troughs for the cattle in Pastures.
5.2.3 5.2.0.3 PA 3-3-69 समुदोरजः पशुषु।।
समज: पशूनां समुदाय इत्यर्थ: उदज: पशूनां प्रेणा मित्यर्थ:-काशिका
Cows being a herd were referred to as Samaja & on being driven off to feed to gather were called Udaja.
5.2.4
5.2.0.4 PA 3-3-119 गोचरसञ्चर वह व्रज व्यजापणनिगमाश्च।
Cows were also kept in pastures, which were called Vraj.
Cow fed freely in pastures, guided by availability of vegetation and green cover as new pastures were developed. Carts laden with commercial produce also emerged from pastures.
5.4.0.5 PA 5-2-18 गोष्ठात् खञ् भूतपूर्वे ।।
The previously used land was called
gosht. Forest from where cattle were removed was called goshthin.
5.2.65.4.0.6 PA 5-4-7
:-आअतिशञ्ग्वीन-;अषडक्षाशितं ग्वलंकर्मालं पुरुषाधयुत्तर पदात् ख: :-
This confirms that in the forests on the periphery of villages, cows were provided with facilities to feed themselves in rotation
भव इन्द्रश्च रक्षतम्।
पूषञस्त्वं पर्यावर्तानष्टा आयन्तु नो गृहान्।। मं ब्रा 1.8.1 गोभिल गृह सूक्त 3-6-1
Oh Cow as you go out to graze in pastures, let this be the provider of Vigor for you to motivate the world for its sustenance and nutrition, without you causing any damage to the environments while grazing, and come back to your home safely.
2.2.2 RV6.54.5.
पूषा गा अन्वेतु न: पूषान्न पूषा रक्षवर्वतः । पूषा वाजं सनोतु नः ।। ऋ6-54-5
Pushan ( the protector by nutrition and. multiplier of all progeny) may push from back our cows and bring them backto us full of bounties for us
2.2.3 – RV 6.54.6
पूषन्ननु प्र गा इहि यजमानस्य सुन्वत:।
अस्माकं स्तुवतामुत || ऋ6-54-6
May Pusha thus provide bounties for the Yajman, the owners of the cows who worship them.
2.2.4- RV 6.54.7
माकिर्ने शन्माकीं रिषन्माकी स शारि केवटे।
अथारिष्टा भिरा गहि।।ऋ 6-54-7
Cows may not get hurt by falling in to water wells. And return to
us after grazing without injury.
3.1.23 AV-9-7-21-23 प्रत्यङ् तिष्ठन् धातोदङ् तिष्ठन्त्सविता ! तृणानि प्राप्त: सोमो राजा !! मित्र ईक्षमाण आवृत्त आनन्द: !!
When feeding facing west it gains physical strength. When feeding on green fodder, facing north it gains brain strength. By enjoying itself thus it develops a friendly temperament.
Cows when well fed and happy, are the supreme friendliness personified and on their return from the pastures they are embodiment of supreme happiness on earth.
1.1.0.7- RV 1-161-11 land must be suitable for providing cow feed and water to be prosperous
गोपालन के लिए उपयुक्त प्रदेश ही सम्पन्न बनता है
उद्वत्स्वस्मा अकृणोतना तृणं निवस्त्वपः स्वपस्यया नरः ।
अगोह्यस्य यदस्तना गृहे तदद्येदमृभवो नानु गच्छथ ॥ ऋ 1-161-11
ऊंचे स्थानों पर गौ के लिए चारा, नीचे स्थानों पर गौ के लिए जल संचय करने के साधन द्वारा अपने प्रदेश को गौ के रहने के लिए उपयोगी बनाने से सम्पन्नता आती है।
By proper arrangements for pastures on higher grounds and water harvesting in low lying areas, land must be made hospitable for cows. Only such lands enjoy bounties and prosperities flowing through cows.
1.1.08 12.73
वि मुच्याध्वमघ्या देवयाना अगन्म तमसस्पारमस्य|
ज्योतिरापाम|| यजु 12.73
1.1.09 Make the land free of those who kill Cows to satisfy their hunger.
Yaju 30.18 Death sentence for killing a cow
मृत्यवे गोव्यच्छमंतकाय गोघातं क्षुधे यो गां विकृन्तन्तं || यजु 30.18
गौ हत्या करने वाले को मृत्यु दंड दिया जाए.
1.1.10 Cows graze and choose what they feed on
RV1.25.16
परा मे यन्ति धीतयो गावो गव्यूतीरनु |
इच्छन्ति रुरुचक्षसम् || ऋ1.25.16
Cows visit the faraway pastures to feed on their choice of vegetation after close examination.
This matter has relevance to text found in Kashyap Sanghita
importance of Cows self fed in Pastures to deliver healthy milk.
Indian Tradition To develop new pasture lands & manage Forests Pastures & Indian Forest Policy
Traditionally in India as give in Vedas and Kautilya's Artha Shastra, the forests were treated in following categories.
1. Forests in the vicinity of habitat:
1.1 People with their domesticated cows were allowed free access to these forest areas. Roughly these forest areas were said to be about 5 miles deep . This was considered the distance up to which a cow's voice could be heard. Cow care givers- mostly ladies- would lead the cows in to this forest area. Cows would freely feed themselves on herbs and green undergrowth.
1.2 Ladies would be busy cutting the lower branches of the trees. This served many purposes. Firstly, the leaves would provide additional fodder for the cows. Secondly, by lopping off the lower branches of the trees, sun light could reach the forest floor. This allowed photosynthesis and growth of green ground cover. Rich undergrowth ground cover stabilized the soil by its roots, and prevented soil erosion, floods and landslides. The rotting vegetation on the ground was rich in bacteria such as Pseudomonas Syringe. This bacterium ensured good rains in the forests. In the evening when the cows with ladies returned to their dwellings back from forests with carts laden with chopped branches, the leaves were used as fodder, the wood was used for fuel in household.
2. One area of Forests was reserved for social forestry.
3. One area was fenced in to provide as sports and game resort.
4. Deep forest area was the reserve forest for big beasts and carnivore. This area was suitably fenced to prevent the wild life from straying out in to other semi inhabited areas.
The present Indian forest policies do not have such practices. Ancient Indians knew the importance of cows foraging in the peripheral forests on green herbs undergrowth and leaf fodder. The Cow dung and cow urine kept the soil in theses forest areas in good health. Indian forest authorities think that by allowing the cows in to the forests and the ladies cutting the lower branches of trees there, the forests are being damaged. To discourage this practice, the Indian forest departments have been replacing leaf fodder trees with planting inedible leaf trees like Pine. The pine needles falling from the trees completely mulch the ground and do not allow any green ground cover. With no green ground cover, no Pseudomonas Syringe the rain bearing clouds pass over the forest lands without shedding their loads of water. With no soil stabilization by ground cover land erosion and landslides become common occurrences. Good green forests fast turn in to deserts.
Cows are deprived of cheap healthy feed. These results in dependence on money to meet the house hold needs that were available free and forests fast turning in to deserts.
Social forestry has never been in the focus of Indian Forest Policies.
1. Wastelands should be developed in to Pasturelands
Rig Veda refers to waste lands thus:
अगव्यूति क्षेत्रमागन्म देवा उर्वी सती भूमिरंहूरणाभूत् ।
बृहस्पते प्र चिकित्सा गविष्टावित्था सते जरित्र इन्द्र पन्थाम् ।। RV6.47.20
We have come upon a vast tract of land that has no cows. It has the looks of having been devastated by wars. Bring on the cows and provide special care of this land to restore its health, and show the path for good citizens to bring it to life.
2. Forest /waste land management According to Kautilyas’s Arth Shastra:2.18
भूमिच्छिद्र-विधानम्
1.अकृष्यायां भूमौ पशुभ्यो विवीतानि प्रयच्छेत् |
प्रदिष्टाभयस्थावरजङ्ग्मानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ब्रह्मसोमारण्यानि, तपोवनानि च तपस्विभ्य गोरुतपराणि प्रयच्छेत् | तावन्मात्र मेकद्वारं खातगुप्तं स्वादुफलगुल्मगुच्छमकण्टकिद्रुममुत्तानातोयाशयं दान्तमृग्चतुष्पदं भग्नंखदंष्ट्र्व्यालं मार्गायुकहस्तिहस्तिनीकलभं मृगवनं विहारार्थं राज्ञ: करेत् |
Bráhmans shall be provided with forests for gurukuls , vegetable plantation, for religious learning, and for performing Somyag, and keeping cows. The area of this land should be the distance from where a cow can be heard roughly about 3KM across.
b. For the performance of penance by sages, similar forests areas safe from the dangers from animate or inanimate objects being rendered, and being named after the cows name (gótra) resident therein.
c. A forest as extensive as the above, provided with only one entrance rendered inaccessible by the construction of ditches all round, with plantations of delicious fruit trees, bushes, bowers, and thorn less trees, with an expansive lake of water full of harmless animals, and with tigers (vyála), beasts of prey (márgáyuka), male and female elephants, young elephants, and bisons—all deprived of their claws and teeth—shall be formed for the king's sports.
2.सर्वातिथिमृगं प्रत्यन्ते चयान्यन्मृगवनं बूमिवशेन वा निवेशयेत् |
On the extreme limit of the country or in any other suitable locality, another game-forest with game-beasts; open to all, shall also be made.
Social Forestry
3.कुप्यप्रदिष्टानां च द्रव्याणामेकैकशो वा वनं निवेशयेत्; द्रव्यवनकर्मांतानटवीश्च द्रव्यवनापाश्रया: |
In view of procuring all kinds of forest-produce described elsewhere, one or several forests shall be especially reserved. Manufactories to prepare commodities from forest produce shall also be set up. Wild tracts shall be separated from timber-forests. 4. प्रत्यन्ते हस्तिवनमटव्यारक्ष्यं निवेशयेत् | नागवनाद्यक्ष: पार्वतं नादेयं सारसमानूपं च नागवनं विदितपर्य न्तप्रवेशनिष्कसनं नागनपालै: पालयेत् | हस्तिघातिनं हन्यु: | दन्त युगं स्वयं मृतस्याहरत: सपादचतुष्पणो लाभ: |
In the extreme limit of the country, elephant forests, separated from wild tracts, shall be formed. The superintendent of forests with his retinue of forest guards shall not only maintain the up-keep of the forests, but also acquaint himself with all passages for entrance into, or exit from such of them as are mountainous or boggy or contain rivers or lakes. Whoever kills an elephant shall be put to death. Whoever brings in the pair of tusks of an elephant, dead from natural causes, shall receive a reward of four-and-a-half panas.
Suggestions by an experts committee on enhancing leaf fodder availability in India (1989) An integrated approach for the restoration and benefit of the community needs
to be adopted for temperate, tropical, and semi-arid fodder trees. Attention must be
focused on the following aspects while formulating government policies for
various integrated systems:
Promising trees and shrubs for introduction into the various climatic zones of
India must be identified, with simultaneous development of easy and quick
methods of raising suggested fodder trees under various integrated systems.
A rational proportion of tree and shrub cover in grazing lands needs to be
developed.
An efficient marketing network is needed to accelerate the judicious use and
to set proper prices for minor products.
The two-tier concept, providing forage to the animal population and
increasing the carrying capacity of the grazing lands, must be promoted. The
heterogeneity ensures better use of environmental resources as the biomorphs
are of different heights and their roots extend to different depths.
A diversified or multitiered silvipasture system, that will ensure better use of
solar energy, capture efficiency, and energy flow to the food chain, should be
developed.
People's involvement for proper restoration of fodder trees should be sought
while afforesting community lands.
The Van Panchayats (community tree plantations in villages) need to be
administered by a single department and a village committee should decide
on the areas to be used, the species to be planted, and on the protection and
207
maturity of plants. Enough fodder should be available within a 7 km walking
distance.
There should be a complete ban on the industrial use of fodder trees.
The principle of shrubs and fodder tree management should sustain supplies
of fodders together with rest periods to ensure recovery from any damage
caused by partial defoliation.
Lopping management varies from species to species depending on their
growth capacity after lopping, their active growing period, their period of leaf
fall, etc. However, the following guidelines can be kept in mind about their
management: fresh leaves should not be lopped as they are often toxic;
saplings and poles should not be lopped; about two seasons' rest is required
after lopping for recovery; lopping may be restricted to the lower two-thirds
of the crown, the upper one-third can produce the feed; at the time of
lopping, branches having a diameter of over 7.5 cm should be avoided; and
lopping should be avoided as much as possible on eroded areas or on areas
prone to erosion.
The incorporation rate of tree leaves and pods into the diets of different
livestock, without loss of animal performance, should be determined.
Large-scale production of complete pelleted feeds for sheep and goats should
be attempted by incorporating different tree leaves and pods that have fallen
to the ground.
The chemical composition of leaves and pods, nutritive values, and toxic
factors and the methods to remove them need to be studied.
The economic feasibility of incorporating fodder leaves and pods into
livestock diets needs to be determined.
Soil in PasturesIt has been observed that calves get affected with Rickets in spite of ample sunshine and plenty of Milk, on certain soil types of low fertility. Fertility of Soil is best nurtured and sustained by Rumens- Cows’ Urine and Dung.
During War time England, deliberately reduced its population of pigs and poultry to rely more on cow rumens to maintain the soil fertility.
A good pasture ecosystem will have certain physical factors, the soil, water, and air, that determine what microbes, plants and animals will live there.
The microbes, plants, and animals together with the soil, water and air they live in create the ecosystem.
These areas were often open spaces of low growing, grass, herbs, weeds, shrub vegetation suitable for grazing livestock.
Often the soil may not be suitable for growing a strong yield of crops or inaccessible for harvest equipment. Such as the undulating rocky areas and waste lands like in Mewat. It is in these very soils and locations that Pasture lands can be developed for our starving cows.
Urine and dung of these cows will enrich and restore the mineral balance of the soils in these waste lands.
Technological interventions for developing such waste lands can proceed on following basis.
1. Allocation and marking of such land. Local volunteers can be assigned to survey the available lands in coordination with local Panchayat level, land record coordinating agencies. A hand held GPS route recorder can mark and fix the land locations.
These parcels of land can be referred to as rangeland, prairie or tame seeded grasses.
RangelandMuch of the Canadian prairie landscape is composed of rangeland, where the natural vegetation is native species of grass, forbes and shrub. Community grazing land in Saskatchewan are almost always rangeland.
PrairieGrazing of cattle pastures can improve soil quality
"Researchers with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found that if cattle are managed so that they graze moderately, soil quality can be restored and emissions of carbon dioxide can be reduced. The researchers varied the number of cattle per acre and assessed how the soils responded to different grazing scenarios. Under each scenario, they looked at the amount of soil compaction that occurred, the amounts of organic carbon and nitrogen in the soil, and the amounts of surface plant residues, which help prevent erosion. They also looked at how the soil responded to three different fertilizer treatments (inorganic, mixed inorganic and organic broiler litter).
From an environmental standpoint, grasslands have traditionally been viewed as best managed by leaving the land unused. But the team found that while fertilizer type made little difference, different grazing scenarios produced different effects, and the grazed land produced more grass than the ungrazed land and had the greatest amount of carbon and nitrogen sequestered in soil. Sequestering carbon and nitrogen in soil has become a major goal for agriculture, since sequestration reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Further research findings will be published in the March 2011 issue of Agricultural Research magazine. (Source: USDA ARS, March 2011)"
LEISA Magazine • 24.2 • June 2008
Optimising nutrient cycles with trees in pasture fields
Karl NorthThe main weakness in sustainable grassland farming in humid ecosystems is the leaching of soil nutrients below the root zone of most forage species. Nature’s solution is a tree-dotted savanna – a system where the deeper roots of trees bring up leached minerals, via leaf and fruit drop. You can re-design pasture farms to copy such natural systems, as this example from the Northeast United States shows.
Most off-farm inputs, such as inorganic fertilizers, are dependent on cheap fossil fuel. To the farmers at Northland Sheep Dairy in New York, U.S.A., sustainability means relying more on the farm’s own natural resources rather than off-farm inputs. Basic requirements for farming system sustainability are: • healthy water and mineral cycles, apart from minerals lost in product sales, which we replenish with rock powder inputs; • good energy capture and use, for example in the shape of soil organic matter; and • optimum biodiversity.
What is Pulsed Grazing ?
Pulsed Grazing is a method of repeated grazing of paddocks (fenced off parts of a field) in a pasture. It controls livestock density and the timing of livestock movement to maximise forage production over the growing season. This in turn maximises manure production to build soil organic matter. Forage plants experience repeated pulses of growth and removal of biomass, both above and below ground, over the growing season. Key aspects:
• Livestock enter a paddock before forage leaves its vegetative stage and growth slows.
• Livestock leave a paddock while there is still sufficient forage leaf area to jump-start regrowth.
• Grazing causes forage roots to die back, which adds soil organic matter from the dead root mass.
• Livestock return to the same paddock when leaf and root regrowth have fully recovered vigour and ability to recover from another grazing.
Soils high in organic matter are central to establishing water and mineral cycles. Soils in humid temperate regions are exceptional in their ability to accumulate organic matter over years. Fifty years ago, André Voisin’s book “Grass Productivity” stated that “pulsed grazing” (see Box) on permanent pasture is the fastest soil organic matter building tool that farmers have, at least in temperate climates. So we tried to design our whole agroecosystem to adapt and improve on the natural grass-ruminant ecosystems that helped create the deep topsoils of midwestern North America. In summary, the design focuses on three crucial areas:
1. Pasture management for a wide variety of productive, palatable perennial forages, kept in a vegetative state via pulsed grazing throughout the growing season to maximise biomass production;
2. Manure storage in a deep litter bedding pack under cover that is refreshed daily during the cold season to maximise nutrient retention (i.e. so that no nitrogen escapes as ammonia) and livestock health;
3. Composting the bedding pack to a proper carbon/nitrogen ratio during the warm season to maximise organic matter production, nutrient stabilisation and retention, and spreading the compost during the warm season as well, to maximise efficient nutrient recycling to the soil.
This design is working well on our farm and confirms Voisin’s thesis: within a few years our forage production tripled, and soil organic matter is slowly improving. The weakest link in the mineral cycle in our wet climate is nutrient losses to leaching.
Integrating deep-rooted trees into the system
Our solution was to design such a model for our area: forage fields that will incorporate enough trees and other deep rooted plants to mend the break in the mineral cycle (see Figure). Trees can make the system more productive and healthier than forest and pasture separately. In Cuba we have seen such systems for orchard or timber production in pastures surrounded by live legume fence posts that were regularly cut for forage. We can take our cue from the Cuban model, but we must adapt it to the temperate climate of our area.
Figure: Trees reach down into the deep soil, bringing up minerals that would otherwise have leached out into groundwater.
To mend the mineral cycle broken due to leaching, we aimed to maximise trees per acre, along with deep-rooted perennial forages like chicory that we added to the hay/pasture species mix. But we needed to space the trees to complement and improve hay and pasture production, not compete with it. So there were conflicting goals, and we had to find a balance between them. We chose tree species and spacing to achieve:
• High shade. To spread shade, and therefore spread lounging livestock, manure and wear on the vegetative cover evenly in the field. Tall, narrow trees spread shade through the day in a wide arc that covers much ground. Short blocky tree shapes throw a shade pattern that covers less ground over the day.
• Optimal shade. For soil moisture retention, forage growth and forage species diversity. Forage in hotter climates will benefit from closer spacing.
• Easy machine harvesting of forage in between the tree rows. Of the three machines we use (mower, tedder/rake, and baler) we based the spacing on the widest machine.
In view of these conflicting requirements we have proceeded cautiously by spacing trees widely at first, and adding more later on as experience shows the need. We started with a tree species called “honey locust” (Gleditsia triacanthos) because it serves multiple functions. It is a legume tree that adds nitrogen to soil; it is a nutritious and palatable forage for either cut-andcarry or browsing by large animals like our work mules; and its shape and small leaves provide the light and high shade that our pasture and sheep management requires.
Later we plan to add trees that can produce a food product such as hazelnuts or chestnuts. For several years we have been thinning an old apple orchard and grazing it with sheep and horses. We are trying to find the optimal spacing between trees to achieve the best sun/shade mix for pasture grass growth. We feel that there is much to learn about how trees, grazing animals and grasslands can be managed to work together to maximise the productivity of the whole beyond that of each one managed separately. In the area, farms practising similar systems are still rare. Interest in low input systems is growing as inputs become too expensive, but policy support is still poor.
Karl North. Northland Sheep Dairy, 3501 Hoxie Gorge Rd, Marathon, New York, U.S.A.
E-mail: northsheep@juno.com ; http://www.geocities.com/northsheep/
Vedas on Pastures and Forests
अरण्यों का गोचर महत्व
RV 10-146-3
उत गाव इवादन्युत वेश्मेव दृष्यते।
उतो अरण्यानि: सायं शकटीरिव सर्जति।। ऋ 10-146-3
Cow with other animals find sustenance in the wild like in their homes, and when in the evening carts laden with forest produce emerge they return to their home, as if the gods in forests are sending them back to their homes with carts laden with bounties of the forests.
RV 10-146-4
गामङ्गैष आ ह्व्यति दार्वङ्गैषो अपावधीत।
वसन्नरण्यान्यां सायक्रुक्षदितिं मन्यते ।। ऋ 10-146-4
The gods of forest as if give directions to the cows from not going astray, and allow men to cut down on some trees. (It is now accepted that branches of trees should be regularly lopped off. This provides leaf fodder for cows, and fire wood for rural women. There a great advantage hidden in the practice of pruning forest trees. This allows sun light to reach the ground level to facilitate undergrowth in forests. This undergrowth not only stabilizes the forest soil. This prevents soil erosion that results in Landslides and Floods. Green Undergrowth ground cover also gives rise to Pseudomonas Syringe bacteria that ensure regular rains in forests.)Those who chose to make their dwellings in forest are subject to hearing fearful noises in the darkness of the nights.
RV 10-138-2
अवासृज: प्रस्व: श्वञ्चयो गिरिनुदाज उस्रा अपिबो मधु प्रियम।
अवर्धयो वनिनो अस्य दंससा शुशोच सूर्यं ऋतजातया गिरा।।
Mountains have prompted clouds to release their loads, to provide growth of the forests, and for the cows to partake of these sweet bounties. The cows have delivered their calves in the forest caves, and by the actions of Sun and rains this process has been doubly blessed.
5.1.1.4 RV 10-27-8
गावो यवं प्रयुता अर्यो अक्षन् ता अपश्यं सहगोपाश्चरन्तीः ।
हवा इदर्यो अभितः समायन्कियदासु स्वपतिश्छ्न्दयाते स्वपतिश्छन्दयाते।।ऋ10.27.8
The herd of cows under the care of the herdsman, are feeding themselves beyond sight ( in pasture) , on being called back they return to the homes of their owners to bless with plentiful bounties.
5.1.4 RV 10-100-1
ऊर्जं गावो यवसे पीवो अत्तन ऋतस्य या: सदने कोशे अङ्ध्वे !
तनूरेव तन्वो अस्तु भेषजमा सर्वतातिमदितिं वृणीमहे !!ऋ10.100.1
RV 10-100-10
Cows as you loiter around to graze in the greens to feed, to gather all the medicinal and nutritive components for your body, so that we are always blessed with a medicinal and brain building gifts. ( here reference is to high EFA-CLA milk , which is possible only with Green fodder .
This confirmed by the modern science as given below;
Dhiman,T.R., G.R. Anand . L. D. Satter and M.W.Pariza.(1999) “Conjugated Linoleic Acid content of Milk from cows Fed Different Diets.”J Dairy Sci 82(10);2146-56
) 5.2.0 About forest pastures (From panini Ashta Dyayi )
Planned breeding of Cows
5.2.0.1 PA 1-2-7 3ग्राम्यपशुसङ्घेष्वतरुणेषु स्त्री ।।
It appears that only cows were allowed to go out in the pastures, unaccompanied with male calves or Bulls. (This obviously helped to prevent indiscriminate breeding)
5.2.0.2 PA 3-3-74 निपानमहाव:
Special arrangements were provided to arrange water troughs for the cattle in Pastures.
5.2.3 5.2.0.3 PA 3-3-69 समुदोरजः पशुषु।।
समज: पशूनां समुदाय इत्यर्थ: उदज: पशूनां प्रेणा मित्यर्थ:-काशिका
Cows being a herd were referred to as Samaja & on being driven off to feed to gather were called Udaja.
5.2.4
5.2.0.4 PA 3-3-119 गोचरसञ्चर वह व्रज व्यजापणनिगमाश्च।
Cows were also kept in pastures, which were called Vraj.
Cow fed freely in pastures, guided by availability of vegetation and green cover as new pastures were developed. Carts laden with commercial produce also emerged from pastures.
5.4.0.5 PA 5-2-18 गोष्ठात् खञ् भूतपूर्वे ।।
The previously used land was called
gosht. Forest from where cattle were removed was called goshthin.
5.2.65.4.0.6 PA 5-4-7
:-आअतिशञ्ग्वीन-;अषडक्षाशितं ग्वलंकर्मालं पुरुषाधयुत्तर पदात् ख: :-
This confirms that in the forests on the periphery of villages, cows were provided with facilities to feed themselves in rotation
भव इन्द्रश्च रक्षतम्।
पूषञस्त्वं पर्यावर्तानष्टा आयन्तु नो गृहान्।। मं ब्रा 1.8.1 गोभिल गृह सूक्त 3-6-1
Oh Cow as you go out to graze in pastures, let this be the provider of Vigor for you to motivate the world for its sustenance and nutrition, without you causing any damage to the environments while grazing, and come back to your home safely.
2.2.2 RV6.54.5.
पूषा गा अन्वेतु न: पूषान्न पूषा रक्षवर्वतः । पूषा वाजं सनोतु नः ।। ऋ6-54-5
Pushan ( the protector by nutrition and. multiplier of all progeny) may push from back our cows and bring them backto us full of bounties for us
2.2.3 – RV 6.54.6
पूषन्ननु प्र गा इहि यजमानस्य सुन्वत:।
अस्माकं स्तुवतामुत || ऋ6-54-6
May Pusha thus provide bounties for the Yajman, the owners of the cows who worship them.
2.2.4- RV 6.54.7
माकिर्ने शन्माकीं रिषन्माकी स शारि केवटे।
अथारिष्टा भिरा गहि।।ऋ 6-54-7
Cows may not get hurt by falling in to water wells. And return to
us after grazing without injury.
3.1.23 AV-9-7-21-23 प्रत्यङ् तिष्ठन् धातोदङ् तिष्ठन्त्सविता ! तृणानि प्राप्त: सोमो राजा !! मित्र ईक्षमाण आवृत्त आनन्द: !!
When feeding facing west it gains physical strength. When feeding on green fodder, facing north it gains brain strength. By enjoying itself thus it develops a friendly temperament.
Cows when well fed and happy, are the supreme friendliness personified and on their return from the pastures they are embodiment of supreme happiness on earth.
1.1.0.7- RV 1-161-11 land must be suitable for providing cow feed and water to be prosperous
गोपालन के लिए उपयुक्त प्रदेश ही सम्पन्न बनता है
उद्वत्स्वस्मा अकृणोतना तृणं निवस्त्वपः स्वपस्यया नरः ।
अगोह्यस्य यदस्तना गृहे तदद्येदमृभवो नानु गच्छथ ॥ ऋ 1-161-11
ऊंचे स्थानों पर गौ के लिए चारा, नीचे स्थानों पर गौ के लिए जल संचय करने के साधन द्वारा अपने प्रदेश को गौ के रहने के लिए उपयोगी बनाने से सम्पन्नता आती है।
By proper arrangements for pastures on higher grounds and water harvesting in low lying areas, land must be made hospitable for cows. Only such lands enjoy bounties and prosperities flowing through cows.
1.1.08 12.73
वि मुच्याध्वमघ्या देवयाना अगन्म तमसस्पारमस्य|
ज्योतिरापाम|| यजु 12.73
1.1.09 Make the land free of those who kill Cows to satisfy their hunger.
Yaju 30.18 Death sentence for killing a cow
मृत्यवे गोव्यच्छमंतकाय गोघातं क्षुधे यो गां विकृन्तन्तं || यजु 30.18
गौ हत्या करने वाले को मृत्यु दंड दिया जाए.
1.1.10 Cows graze and choose what they feed on
RV1.25.16
परा मे यन्ति धीतयो गावो गव्यूतीरनु |
इच्छन्ति रुरुचक्षसम् || ऋ1.25.16
Cows visit the faraway pastures to feed on their choice of vegetation after close examination.
This matter has relevance to text found in Kashyap Sanghita
importance of Cows self fed in Pastures to deliver healthy milk.
Indian Tradition To develop new pasture lands & manage Forests Pastures & Indian Forest PolicyTraditionally in India as give in Vedas and Kautilya's Artha Shastra, the forests were treated in following categories.
1. Forests in the vicinity of habitat:
1.1 People with their domesticated cows were allowed free access to these forest areas. Roughly these forest areas were said to be about 5 miles deep . This was considered the distance up to which a cow's voice could be heard. Cow care givers- mostly ladies- would lead the cows in to this forest area. Cows would freely feed themselves on herbs and green undergrowth.
1.2 Ladies would be busy cutting the lower branches of the trees. This served many purposes. Firstly, the leaves would provide additional fodder for the cows. Secondly, by lopping off the lower branches of the trees, sun light could reach the forest floor. This allowed photosynthesis and growth of green ground cover. Rich undergrowth ground cover stabilized the soil by its roots, and prevented soil erosion, floods and landslides. The rotting vegetation on the ground was rich in bacteria such as Pseudomonas Syringe. This bacterium ensured good rains in the forests. In the evening when the cows with ladies returned to their dwellings back from forests with carts laden with chopped branches, the leaves were used as fodder, the wood was used for fuel in household.
2. One area of Forests was reserved for social forestry.
3. One area was fenced in to provide as sports and game resort.
4. Deep forest area was the reserve forest for big beasts and carnivore. This area was suitably fenced to prevent the wild life from straying out in to other semi inhabited areas.
The present Indian forest policies do not have such practices. Ancient Indians knew the importance of cows foraging in the peripheral forests on green herbs undergrowth and leaf fodder. The Cow dung and cow urine kept the soil in theses forest areas in good health. Indian forest authorities think that by allowing the cows in to the forests and the ladies cutting the lower branches of trees there, the forests are being damaged. To discourage this practice, the Indian forest departments have been replacing leaf fodder trees with planting inedible leaf trees like Pine. The pine needles falling from the trees completely mulch the ground and do not allow any green ground cover. With no green ground cover, no Pseudomonas Syringe the rain bearing clouds pass over the forest lands without shedding their loads of water. With no soil stabilization by ground cover land erosion and landslides become common occurrences. Good green forests fast turn in to deserts.
Cows are deprived of cheap healthy feed. These results in dependence on money to meet the house hold needs that were available free and forests fast turning in to deserts.
Social forestry has never been in the focus of Indian Forest Policies.
1. Wastelands should be developed in to Pasturelands
Rig Veda refers to waste lands thus:
अगव्यूति क्षेत्रमागन्म देवा उर्वी सती भूमिरंहूरणाभूत् ।
बृहस्पते प्र चिकित्सा गविष्टावित्था सते जरित्र इन्द्र पन्थाम् ।। RV6.47.20
We have come upon a vast tract of land that has no cows. It has the looks of having been devastated by wars. Bring on the cows and provide special care of this land to restore its health, and show the path for good citizens to bring it to life.
2. Forest /waste land management According to Kautilyas’s Arth Shastra:2.18
भूमिच्छिद्र-विधानम्
1.अकृष्यायां भूमौ पशुभ्यो विवीतानि प्रयच्छेत् |
प्रदिष्टाभयस्थावरजङ्ग्मानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ब्रह्मसोमारण्यानि, तपोवनानि च तपस्विभ्य गोरुतपराणि प्रयच्छेत् | तावन्मात्र मेकद्वारं खातगुप्तं स्वादुफलगुल्मगुच्छमकण्टकिद्रुममुत्तानातोयाशयं दान्तमृग्चतुष्पदं भग्नंखदंष्ट्र्व्यालं मार्गायुकहस्तिहस्तिनीकलभं मृगवनं विहारार्थं राज्ञ: करेत् |
Bráhmans shall be provided with forests for gurukuls , vegetable plantation, for religious learning, and for performing Somyag, and keeping cows. The area of this land should be the distance from where a cow can be heard roughly about 3KM across.
b. For the performance of penance by sages, similar forests areas safe from the dangers from animate or inanimate objects being rendered, and being named after the cows name (gótra) resident therein.
c. A forest as extensive as the above, provided with only one entrance rendered inaccessible by the construction of ditches all round, with plantations of delicious fruit trees, bushes, bowers, and thorn less trees, with an expansive lake of water full of harmless animals, and with tigers (vyála), beasts of prey (márgáyuka), male and female elephants, young elephants, and bisons—all deprived of their claws and teeth—shall be formed for the king's sports.
2.सर्वातिथिमृगं प्रत्यन्ते चयान्यन्मृगवनं बूमिवशेन वा निवेशयेत् |
On the extreme limit of the country or in any other suitable locality, another game-forest with game-beasts; open to all, shall also be made.
Social Forestry
3.कुप्यप्रदिष्टानां च द्रव्याणामेकैकशो वा वनं निवेशयेत्; द्रव्यवनकर्मांतानटवीश्च द्रव्यवनापाश्रया: |
In view of procuring all kinds of forest-produce described elsewhere, one or several forests shall be especially reserved. Manufactories to prepare commodities from forest produce shall also be set up. Wild tracts shall be separated from timber-forests. 4. प्रत्यन्ते हस्तिवनमटव्यारक्ष्यं निवेशयेत् | नागवनाद्यक्ष: पार्वतं नादेयं सारसमानूपं च नागवनं विदितपर्य न्तप्रवेशनिष्कसनं नागनपालै: पालयेत् | हस्तिघातिनं हन्यु: | दन्त युगं स्वयं मृतस्याहरत: सपादचतुष्पणो लाभ: |
In the extreme limit of the country, elephant forests, separated from wild tracts, shall be formed. The superintendent of forests with his retinue of forest guards shall not only maintain the up-keep of the forests, but also acquaint himself with all passages for entrance into, or exit from such of them as are mountainous or boggy or contain rivers or lakes. Whoever kills an elephant shall be put to death. Whoever brings in the pair of tusks of an elephant, dead from natural causes, shall receive a reward of four-and-a-half panas.
Suggestions by an experts committee on enhancing leaf fodder availability in India (1989)
An integrated approach for the restoration and benefit of the community needs
to be adopted for temperate, tropical, and semi-arid fodder trees. Attention must be
focused on the following aspects while formulating government policies for
various integrated systems:
Promising trees and shrubs for introduction into the various climatic zones of
India must be identified, with simultaneous development of easy and quick
methods of raising suggested fodder trees under various integrated systems.
A rational proportion of tree and shrub cover in grazing lands needs to be
developed.
An efficient marketing network is needed to accelerate the judicious use and
to set proper prices for minor products.
The two-tier concept, providing forage to the animal population and
increasing the carrying capacity of the grazing lands, must be promoted. The
heterogeneity ensures better use of environmental resources as the biomorphs
are of different heights and their roots extend to different depths.
A diversified or multitiered silvipasture system, that will ensure better use of
solar energy, capture efficiency, and energy flow to the food chain, should be
developed.
People's involvement for proper restoration of fodder trees should be sought
while afforesting community lands.
The Van Panchayats (community tree plantations in villages) need to be
administered by a single department and a village committee should decide
on the areas to be used, the species to be planted, and on the protection and
207
maturity of plants. Enough fodder should be available within a 7 km walking
distance.
There should be a complete ban on the industrial use of fodder trees.
The principle of shrubs and fodder tree management should sustain supplies
of fodders together with rest periods to ensure recovery from any damage
caused by partial defoliation.
Lopping management varies from species to species depending on their
growth capacity after lopping, their active growing period, their period of leaf
fall, etc. However, the following guidelines can be kept in mind about their
management: fresh leaves should not be lopped as they are often toxic;
saplings and poles should not be lopped; about two seasons' rest is required
after lopping for recovery; lopping may be restricted to the lower two-thirds
of the crown, the upper one-third can produce the feed; at the time of
lopping, branches having a diameter of over 7.5 cm should be avoided; and
lopping should be avoided as much as possible on eroded areas or on areas
prone to erosion.
The incorporation rate of tree leaves and pods into the diets of different
livestock, without loss of animal performance, should be determined.
Large-scale production of complete pelleted feeds for sheep and goats should
be attempted by incorporating different tree leaves and pods that have fallen
to the ground.
The chemical composition of leaves and pods, nutritive values, and toxic
factors and the methods to remove them need to be studied.
The economic feasibility of incorporating fodder leaves and pods into
livestock diets needs to be determined.
Soil in PasturesIt has been observed that calves get affected with Rickets in spite of ample sunshine and plenty of Milk, on certain soil types of low fertility. Fertility of Soil is best nurtured and sustained by Rumens- Cows’ Urine and Dung.
During War time England, deliberately reduced its population of pigs and poultry to rely more on cow rumens to maintain the soil fertility.
A good pasture ecosystem will have certain physical factors, the soil, water, and air, that determine what microbes, plants and animals will live there.
The microbes, plants, and animals together with the soil, water and air they live in create the ecosystem.
These areas were often open spaces of low growing, grass, herbs, weeds, shrub vegetation suitable for grazing livestock.
Often the soil may not be suitable for growing a strong yield of crops or inaccessible for harvest equipment. Such as the undulating rocky areas and waste lands like in Mewat. It is in these very soils and locations that Pasture lands can be developed for our starving cows.
Urine and dung of these cows will enrich and restore the mineral balance of the soils in these waste lands.
Technological interventions for developing such waste lands can proceed on following basis.
1. Allocation and marking of such land. Local volunteers can be assigned to survey the available lands in coordination with local Panchayat level, land record coordinating agencies. A hand held GPS route recorder can mark and fix the land locations.
These parcels of land can be referred to as rangeland, prairie or tame seeded grasses.
Rangeland
Much of the Canadian prairie landscape is composed of rangeland, where the natural vegetation is native species of grass, forbes and shrub. Community grazing land in Saskatchewan are almost always rangeland.
PrairieGrazing of cattle pastures can improve soil quality
Researchers with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found that if cattle are managed so that they graze moderately, soil quality can be restored and emissions of carbon dioxide can be reduced. The researchers varied the number of cattle per acre and assessed how the soils responded to different grazing scenarios. Under each scenario, they looked at the amount of soil compaction that occurred, the amounts of organic carbon and nitrogen in the soil, and the amounts of surface plant residues, which help prevent erosion. They also looked at how the soil responded to three different fertilizer treatments (inorganic, mixed inorganic and organic broiler litter).
From an environmental standpoint, grasslands have traditionally been viewed as best managed by leaving the land unused. But the team found that while fertilizer type made little difference, different grazing scenarios produced different effects, and the grazed land produced more grass than the ungrazed land and had the greatest amount of carbon and nitrogen sequestered in soil. Sequestering carbon and nitrogen in soil has become a major goal for agriculture, since sequestration reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Further research findings will be published in the March 2011 issue of Agricultural Research magazine. (Source: USDA ARS, March 2011
Optimising nutrient cycles with trees in pasture fields
by Karl North The main weakness in sustainable grassland farming in humid ecosystems is the leaching of soil nutrients below the root zone of most forage species. Nature’s solution is a tree-dotted savanna – a system where the deeper roots of trees bring up leached minerals, via leaf and fruit drop. You can re-design pasture farms to copy such natural systems, as this example from the Northeast United States shows.
LEISA Magazine • 24.2 • June 2008
Optimising nutrient cycles with trees in pasture fields
Karl North
The main weakness in sustainable grassland farming in humid ecosystems is the leaching of soil nutrients below the root zone of most forage species. Nature’s solution is a tree-dotted savanna – a system where the deeper roots of trees bring up leached minerals, via leaf and fruit drop. You can re-design pasture farms to copy such natural systems, as this example from the Northeast United States shows.
Most off-farm inputs, such as inorganic fertilizers, are dependent on cheap fossil fuel. To the farmers at Northland Sheep Dairy in New York, U.S.A., sustainability means relying more on the farm’s own natural resources rather than off-farm inputs. Basic requirements for farming system sustainability are: • healthy water and mineral cycles, apart from minerals lost in product sales, which we replenish with rock powder inputs; • good energy capture and use, for example in the shape of soil organic matter; and • optimum biodiversity.
What is Pulsed Grazing ?
Pulsed Grazing is a method of repeated grazing of paddocks (fenced off parts of a field) in a pasture. It controls livestock density and the timing of livestock movement to maximise forage production over the growing season. This in turn maximises manure production to build soil organic matter. Forage plants experience repeated pulses of growth and removal of biomass, both above and below ground, over the growing season. Key aspects:
• Livestock enter a paddock before forage leaves its vegetative stage and growth slows.
• Livestock leave a paddock while there is still sufficient forage leaf area to jump-start regrowth.
• Grazing causes forage roots to die back, which adds soil organic matter from the dead root mass.
• Livestock return to the same paddock when leaf and root regrowth have fully recovered vigour and ability to recover from another grazing.
Soils high in organic matter are central to establishing water and mineral cycles. Soils in humid temperate regions are exceptional in their ability to accumulate organic matter over years. Fifty years ago, André Voisin’s book “Grass Productivity” stated that “pulsed grazing” (see Box) on permanent pasture is the fastest soil organic matter building tool that farmers have, at least in temperate climates. So we tried to design our whole agroecosystem to adapt and improve on the natural grass-ruminant ecosystems that helped create the deep topsoils of midwestern North America. In summary, the design focuses on three crucial areas:
1. Pasture management for a wide variety of productive, palatable perennial forages, kept in a vegetative state via pulsed grazing throughout the growing season to maximise biomass production;
2. Manure storage in a deep litter bedding pack under cover that is refreshed daily during the cold season to maximise nutrient retention (i.e. so that no nitrogen escapes as ammonia) and livestock health;
3. Composting the bedding pack to a proper carbon/nitrogen ratio during the warm season to maximise organic matter production, nutrient stabilisation and retention, and spreading the compost during the warm season as well, to maximise efficient nutrient recycling to the soil.
This design is working well on our farm and confirms Voisin’s thesis: within a few years our forage production tripled, and soil organic matter is slowly improving. The weakest link in the mineral cycle in our wet climate is nutrient losses to leaching.
Integrating deep-rooted trees into the system
Our solution was to design such a model for our area: forage fields that will incorporate enough trees and other deep rooted plants to mend the break in the mineral cycle (see Figure). Trees can make the system more productive and healthier than forest and pasture separately. In Cuba we have seen such systems for orchard or timber production in pastures surrounded by live legume fence posts that were regularly cut for forage. We can take our cue from the Cuban model, but we must adapt it to the temperate climate of our area.
Figure: Trees reach down into the deep soil, bringing up minerals that would otherwise have leached out into groundwater.
To mend the mineral cycle broken due to leaching, we aimed to maximise trees per acre, along with deep-rooted perennial forages like chicory that we added to the hay/pasture species mix. But we needed to space the trees to complement and improve hay and pasture production, not compete with it. So there were conflicting goals, and we had to find a balance between them. We chose tree species and spacing to achieve:
• High shade. To spread shade, and therefore spread lounging livestock, manure and wear on the vegetative cover evenly in the field. Tall, narrow trees spread shade through the day in a wide arc that covers much ground. Short blocky tree shapes throw a shade pattern that covers less ground over the day.
• Optimal shade. For soil moisture retention, forage growth and forage species diversity. Forage in hotter climates will benefit from closer spacing.
• Easy machine harvesting of forage in between the tree rows. Of the three machines we use (mower, tedder/rake, and baler) we based the spacing on the widest machine.
In view of these conflicting requirements we have proceeded cautiously by spacing trees widely at first, and adding more later on as experience shows the need. We started with a tree species called “honey locust” (Gleditsia triacanthos) because it serves multiple functions. It is a legume tree that adds nitrogen to soil; it is a nutritious and palatable forage for either cut-andcarry or browsing by large animals like our work mules; and its shape and small leaves provide the light and high shade that our pasture and sheep management requires.
Later we plan to add trees that can produce a food product such as hazelnuts or chestnuts. For several years we have been thinning an old apple orchard and grazing it with sheep and horses. We are trying to find the optimal spacing between trees to achieve the best sun/shade mix for pasture grass growth. We feel that there is much to learn about how trees, grazing animals and grasslands can be managed to work together to maximise the productivity of the whole beyond that of each one managed separately. In the area, farms practising similar systems are still rare. Interest in low input systems is growing as inputs become too expensive, but policy support is still poor.
Karl North. Northland Sheep Dairy, 3501 Hoxie Gorge Rd, Marathon, New York, U.S.A.
E-mail: northsheep@juno.com ; http://www.geocities.com/northsheep/
Cow Feeding practices in Indian Vedic traditions
From time immemorial it is worldwide wisdom that Fresh Raw Milk –धारोष्ण गो दुग्ध is the best and complete diet. अमृतं किम् गोपय:, our tradition called Cow’s Milk- Ambrosia - अमृत. Vedas sang paeans of it.
Old age was like wear and tear of mechanisms of the human body. The self degenerating human diseases such as –Obesity, Diabetes, Cancer, Arthrosclerosis, Bone porosity, Cardiac Heart Troubles did not exist.
India is the land of world’s oldest surviving continuous civilization. The underlying secret extolled by Vedas is the Indian tradition of vegetarian diet and domesticated cow in every household. This wisdom of India is a gift to the modern world.
Modern science tells us that pesticide free Green Grass Fed cow’s Milk is rich in CLA and in diet Organic fresh raw food are the sustainable alternatives.
According to Vedas this was achieved by Cows that were self fed in pastures. परा मे यन्ति धीतयो गावो गव्यूतीरनु | इच्छन्ति रुरुचक्षसम् || ऋ1.25.16. Vedas are also here talking of cows’ instincts of selecting particular grasses in mixed pasture herbages. Rig veda elaborates on this to describe an ideal pasture as
“मयोभूर्वातो अभि वातूस्रा ऊर्जस्वतीरोषधीरा रिशन्ताम |
पीवस्वतीर्जीवधन्या: पिबन्त्ववसाय पद्वते मृळ || ऋ 10.169.1”
“In pasture while being self fed-With salubrious winds wafting over them Cows partake of medicinal herbs as their feed. They have access to divine waters (fresh stream waters) that bless and their feet tread on ground that makes them free of any disease.”
According to ‘Nutrition and Physical Degeneration’ by Weston A. Price, D.D.S. as cows feed in pastures ‘Animal Instincts are Helpful in Meeting Their Nutritional Needs’. Instincts for wise choice of food are still retained by the animals in spite of our attempts to convert the Cow into a Chemical Engineering establishment, wherein her ration is as simple as “Urea and phosphoric acid mixed with carbohydrates and proteins” however crude. And add mineral mixtures if you like.
Milk, because of its role in reproduction as yet cannot be reduced to the simplicity of Chemical Engineering. This in brief is the About Forests as Pastures- Medicinal qualities of milk of cows when pasture fed is confirmed by modern science as given here;Cow Feeding practices in Indian Vedic traditions
From time immemorial it is worldwide wisdom that Fresh Raw Milk –धारोष्ण गो दुग्ध is the best and complete diet. अमृतं किम् गोपय:, our tradition called Cow’s Milk- Ambrosia - अमृत. Vedas sang paeans of it.
Old age was like wear and tear of mechanisms of the human body. The self degenerating human diseases such as –Obesity, Diabetes, Cancer, Arthrosclerosis, Bone porosity, Cardiac Heart Troubles did not exist.
India is the land of world’s oldest surviving continuous civilization. The underlying secret extolled by Vedas is the Indian tradition of vegetarian diet and domesticated cow in every household. This wisdom of India is a gift to the modern world.
Modern science tells us that pesticide free Green Grass Fed cow’s Milk is rich in CLA and in diet Organic fresh raw food are the sustainable alternatives.
According to Vedas this was achieved by Cows that were self fed in pastures. परा मे यन्ति धीतयो गावो गव्यूतीरनु | इच्छन्ति रुरुचक्षसम् || ऋ1.25.16. Vedas are also here talking of cows’ instincts of selecting particular grasses in mixed pasture herbages. Rig veda elaborates on this to describe an ideal pasture as
“मयोभूर्वातो अभि वातूस्रा ऊर्जस्वतीरोषधीरा रिशन्ताम |
पीवस्वतीर्जीवधन्या: पिबन्त्ववसाय पद्वते मृळ || ऋ 10.169.1”
“In pasture while being self fed-With salubrious winds wafting over them Cows partake of medicinal herbs as their feed. They have access to divine waters (fresh stream waters) that bless and their feet tread on ground that makes them free of any disease.”
According to ‘Nutrition and Physical Degeneration’ by Weston A. Price, D.D.S. as cows feed in pastures ‘Animal Instincts are Helpful in Meeting Their Nutritional Needs’. Instincts for wise choice of food are still retained by the animals in spite of our attempts to convert the Cow into a Chemical Engineering establishment, wherein her ration is as simple as “Urea and phosphoric acid mixed with carbohydrates and proteins” however crude. And add mineral mixtures if you like.
Milk, because of its role in reproduction as yet cannot be reduced to the simplicity of Chemical Engineering. This in brief is the About Forests as Pastures- Medicinal qualities of milk of cows when pasture fed is confirmed by modern science as given here;
Vedas on Pastures and Forestsअरण्यों का गोचर महत्व
RV 10-146-3
उत गाव इवादन्युत वेश्मेव दृष्यते।
उतो अरण्यानि: सायं शकटीरिव सर्जति।। ऋ 10-146-3
Cow with other animals find sustenance in the wild like in their homes, and when in the evening carts laden with forest produce emerge they return to their home, as if the gods in forests are sending them back to their homes with carts laden with bounties of the forests.
RV 10-146-4
गामङ्गैष आ ह्व्यति दार्वङ्गैषो अपावधीत।
वसन्नरण्यान्यां सायक्रुक्षदितिं मन्यते ।। ऋ 10-146-4
The gods of forest as if give directions to the cows from not going astray, and allow men to cut down on some trees. (It is now accepted that branches of trees should be regularly lopped off. This provides leaf fodder for cows, and fire wood for rural women. There a great advantage hidden in the practice of pruning forest trees. This allows sun light to reach the ground level to facilitate undergrowth in forests. This undergrowth not only stabilizes the forest soil. This prevents soil erosion that results in Landslides and Floods. Green Undergrowth ground cover also gives rise to Pseudomonas Syringe bacteria that ensure regular rains in forests.)Those who chose to make their dwellings in forest are subject to hearing fearful noises in the darkness of the nights.
RV 10-138-2
अवासृज: प्रस्व: श्वञ्चयो गिरिनुदाज उस्रा अपिबो मधु प्रियम।
अवर्धयो वनिनो अस्य दंससा शुशोच सूर्यं ऋतजातया गिरा।।
Mountains have prompted clouds to release their loads, to provide growth of the forests, and for the cows to partake of these sweet bounties. The cows have delivered their calves in the forest caves, and by the actions of Sun and rains this process has been doubly blessed.
5.1.1.4 RV 10-27-8
गावो यवं प्रयुता अर्यो अक्षन् ता अपश्यं सहगोपाश्चरन्तीः ।
हवा इदर्यो अभितः समायन्कियदासु स्वपतिश्छ्न्दयाते स्वपतिश्छन्दयाते।।ऋ10.27.8
The herd of cows under the care of the herdsman, are feeding themselves beyond sight ( in pasture) , on being called back they return to the homes of their owners to bless with plentiful bounties.
5.1.4 RV 10-100-1
ऊर्जं गावो यवसे पीवो अत्तन ऋतस्य या: सदने कोशे अङ्ध्वे !
तनूरेव तन्वो अस्तु भेषजमा सर्वतातिमदितिं वृणीमहे !!ऋ10.100.1
RV 10-100-10
Cows as you loiter around to graze in the greens to feed, to gather all the medicinal and nutritive components for your body, so that we are always blessed with a medicinal and brain building gifts. ( here reference is to high EFA-CLA milk , which is possible only with Green fodder .
This confirmed by the modern science as given below;
Dhiman,T.R., G.R. Anand . L. D. Satter and M.W.Pariza.(1999) “Conjugated Linoleic Acid content of Milk from cows Fed Different Diets.”J Dairy Sci 82(10);2146-56) 5.2.0 About forest pastures (From panini Ashta Dyayi )
Planned breeding of Cows
5.2.0.1 PA 1-2-7 3ग्राम्यपशुसङ्घेष्वतरुणेषु स्त्री ।।
It appears that only cows were allowed to go out in the pastures, unaccompanied with male calves or Bulls. (This obviously helped to prevent indiscriminate breeding)
5.2.0.2 PA 3-3-74 निपानमहाव:
Special arrangements were provided to arrange water troughs for the cattle in Pastures.
5.2.3 5.2.0.3 PA 3-3-69 समुदोरजः पशुषु।।
समज: पशूनां समुदाय इत्यर्थ: उदज: पशूनां प्रेणा मित्यर्थ:-काशिका
Cows being a herd were referred to as Samaja & on being driven off to feed to gather were called Udaja.
5.2.4
5.2.0.4 PA 3-3-119 गोचरसञ्चर वह व्रज व्यजापणनिगमाश्च।
Cows were also kept in pastures, which were called Vraj.
Cow fed freely in pastures, guided by availability of vegetation and green cover as new pastures were developed. Carts laden with commercial produce also emerged from pastures.
5.4.0.5 PA 5-2-18 गोष्ठात् खञ् भूतपूर्वे ।।
The previously used land was called
gosht. Forest from where cattle were removed was called goshthin.
5.2.65.4.0.6 PA 5-4-7
:-आअतिशञ्ग्वीन-;अषडक्षाशितं ग्वलंकर्मालं पुरुषाधयुत्तर पदात् ख: :-
This confirms that in the forests on the periphery of villages, cows were provided with facilities to feed themselves in rotation
भव इन्द्रश्च रक्षतम्।
पूषञस्त्वं पर्यावर्तानष्टा आयन्तु नो गृहान्।। मं ब्रा 1.8.1 गोभिल गृह सूक्त 3-6-1
Oh Cow as you go out to graze in pastures, let this be the provider of Vigor for you to motivate the world for its sustenance and nutrition, without you causing any damage to the environments while grazing, and come back to your home safely.
2.2.2 RV6.54.5.
पूषा गा अन्वेतु न: पूषान्न पूषा रक्षवर्वतः । पूषा वाजं सनोतु नः ।। ऋ6-54-5
Pushan ( the protector by nutrition and. multiplier of all progeny) may push from back our cows and bring them backto us full of bounties for us
2.2.3 – RV 6.54.6
पूषन्ननु प्र गा इहि यजमानस्य सुन्वत:।
अस्माकं स्तुवतामुत || ऋ6-54-6
May Pusha thus provide bounties for the Yajman, the owners of the cows who worship them.
2.2.4- RV 6.54.7
माकिर्ने शन्माकीं रिषन्माकी स शारि केवटे।
अथारिष्टा भिरा गहि।।ऋ 6-54-7
Cows may not get hurt by falling in to water wells. And return to
us after grazing without injury.
3.1.23 AV-9-7-21-23 प्रत्यङ् तिष्ठन् धातोदङ् तिष्ठन्त्सविता ! तृणानि प्राप्त: सोमो राजा !! मित्र ईक्षमाण आवृत्त आनन्द: !!
When feeding facing west it gains physical strength. When feeding on green fodder, facing north it gains brain strength. By enjoying itself thus it develops a friendly temperament.
Cows when well fed and happy, are the supreme friendliness personified and on their return from the pastures they are embodiment of supreme happiness on earth.
1.1.0.7- RV 1-161-11 land must be suitable for providing cow feed and water to be prosperous
गोपालन के लिए उपयुक्त प्रदेश ही सम्पन्न बनता है
उद्वत्स्वस्मा अकृणोतना तृणं निवस्त्वपः स्वपस्यया नरः ।
अगोह्यस्य यदस्तना गृहे तदद्येदमृभवो नानु गच्छथ ॥ ऋ 1-161-11
ऊंचे स्थानों पर गौ के लिए चारा, नीचे स्थानों पर गौ के लिए जल संचय करने के साधन द्वारा अपने प्रदेश को गौ के रहने के लिए उपयोगी बनाने से सम्पन्नता आती है।
By proper arrangements for pastures on higher grounds and water harvesting in low lying areas, land must be made hospitable for cows. Only such lands enjoy bounties and prosperities flowing through cows.
1.1.08 12.73
वि मुच्याध्वमघ्या देवयाना अगन्म तमसस्पारमस्य|
ज्योतिरापाम|| यजु 12.73
1.1.09 Make the land free of those who kill Cows to satisfy their hunger.
Yaju 30.18 Death sentence for killing a cow
मृत्यवे गोव्यच्छमंतकाय गोघातं क्षुधे यो गां विकृन्तन्तं || यजु 30.18
गौ हत्या करने वाले को मृत्यु दंड दिया जाए.
1.1.10 Cows graze and choose what they feed on
RV1.25.16
परा मे यन्ति धीतयो गावो गव्यूतीरनु |
इच्छन्ति रुरुचक्षसम् || ऋ1.25.16
Cows visit the faraway pastures to feed on their choice of vegetation after close examination.
This matter has relevance to text found in Kashyap Sanghita
importance of Cows self fed in Pastures to deliver healthy milk.
Indian Tradition To develop new pasture lands & manage Forests Pastures & Indian Forest Policy
Traditionally in India as give in Vedas and Kautilya's Artha Shastra, the forests were treated in following categories.
1. Forests in the vicinity of habitat:
1.1 People with their domesticated cows were allowed free access to these forest areas. Roughly these forest areas were said to be about 5 miles deep . This was considered the distance up to which a cow's voice could be heard. Cow care givers- mostly ladies- would lead the cows in to this forest area. Cows would freely feed themselves on herbs and green undergrowth.
1.2 Ladies would be busy cutting the lower branches of the trees. This served many purposes. Firstly, the leaves would provide additional fodder for the cows. Secondly, by lopping off the lower branches of the trees, sun light could reach the forest floor. This allowed photosynthesis and growth of green ground cover. Rich undergrowth ground cover stabilized the soil by its roots, and prevented soil erosion, floods and landslides. The rotting vegetation on the ground was rich in bacteria such as Pseudomonas Syringe. This bacterium ensured good rains in the forests. In the evening when the cows with ladies returned to their dwellings back from forests with carts laden with chopped branches, the leaves were used as fodder, the wood was used for fuel in household.
2. One area of Forests was reserved for social forestry.
3. One area was fenced in to provide as sports and game resort.
4. Deep forest area was the reserve forest for big beasts and carnivore. This area was suitably fenced to prevent the wild life from straying out in to other semi inhabited areas.
The present Indian forest policies do not have such practices. Ancient Indians knew the importance of cows foraging in the peripheral forests on green herbs undergrowth and leaf fodder. The Cow dung and cow urine kept the soil in theses forest areas in good health. Indian forest authorities think that by allowing the cows in to the forests and the ladies cutting the lower branches of trees there, the forests are being damaged. To discourage this practice, the Indian forest departments have been replacing leaf fodder trees with planting inedible leaf trees like Pine. The pine needles falling from the trees completely mulch the ground and do not allow any green ground cover. With no green ground cover, no Pseudomonas Syringe the rain bearing clouds pass over the forest lands without shedding their loads of water. With no soil stabilization by ground cover land erosion and landslides become common occurrences. Good green forests fast turn in to deserts.
Cows are deprived of cheap healthy feed. These results in dependence on money to meet the house hold needs that were available free and forests fast turning in to deserts.
Social forestry has never been in the focus of Indian Forest Policies.
1. Wastelands should be developed in to Pasturelands
Rig Veda refers to waste lands thus:
अगव्यूति क्षेत्रमागन्म देवा उर्वी सती भूमिरंहूरणाभूत् ।
बृहस्पते प्र चिकित्सा गविष्टावित्था सते जरित्र इन्द्र पन्थाम् ।। RV6.47.20
We have come upon a vast tract of land that has no cows. It has the looks of having been devastated by wars. Bring on the cows and provide special care of this land to restore its health, and show the path for good citizens to bring it to life.
2. Forest /waste land management According to Kautilyas’s Arth Shastra:2.18
भूमिच्छिद्र-विधानम्
1.अकृष्यायां भूमौ पशुभ्यो विवीतानि प्रयच्छेत् |
प्रदिष्टाभयस्थावरजङ्ग्मानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ब्रह्मसोमारण्यानि, तपोवनानि च तपस्विभ्य गोरुतपराणि प्रयच्छेत् | तावन्मात्र मेकद्वारं खातगुप्तं स्वादुफलगुल्मगुच्छमकण्टकिद्रुममुत्तानातोयाशयं दान्तमृग्चतुष्पदं भग्नंखदंष्ट्र्व्यालं मार्गायुकहस्तिहस्तिनीकलभं मृगवनं विहारार्थं राज्ञ: करेत् |
Bráhmans shall be provided with forests for gurukuls , vegetable plantation, for religious learning, and for performing Somyag, and keeping cows. The area of this land should be the distance from where a cow can be heard roughly about 3KM across.
b. For the performance of penance by sages, similar forests areas safe from the dangers from animate or inanimate objects being rendered, and being named after the cows name (gótra) resident therein.
c. A forest as extensive as the above, provided with only one entrance rendered inaccessible by the construction of ditches all round, with plantations of delicious fruit trees, bushes, bowers, and thorn less trees, with an expansive lake of water full of harmless animals, and with tigers (vyála), beasts of prey (márgáyuka), male and female elephants, young elephants, and bisons—all deprived of their claws and teeth—shall be formed for the king's sports.
2.सर्वातिथिमृगं प्रत्यन्ते चयान्यन्मृगवनं बूमिवशेन वा निवेशयेत् |
On the extreme limit of the country or in any other suitable locality, another game-forest with game-beasts; open to all, shall also be made.
Social Forestry
3.कुप्यप्रदिष्टानां च द्रव्याणामेकैकशो वा वनं निवेशयेत्; द्रव्यवनकर्मांतानटवीश्च द्रव्यवनापाश्रया: |
In view of procuring all kinds of forest-produce described elsewhere, one or several forests shall be especially reserved. Manufactories to prepare commodities from forest produce shall also be set up. Wild tracts shall be separated from timber-forests. 4. प्रत्यन्ते हस्तिवनमटव्यारक्ष्यं निवेशयेत् | नागवनाद्यक्ष: पार्वतं नादेयं सारसमानूपं च नागवनं विदितपर्य न्तप्रवेशनिष्कसनं नागनपालै: पालयेत् | हस्तिघातिनं हन्यु: | दन्त युगं स्वयं मृतस्याहरत: सपादचतुष्पणो लाभ: |
In the extreme limit of the country, elephant forests, separated from wild tracts, shall be formed. The superintendent of forests with his retinue of forest guards shall not only maintain the up-keep of the forests, but also acquaint himself with all passages for entrance into, or exit from such of them as are mountainous or boggy or contain rivers or lakes. Whoever kills an elephant shall be put to death. Whoever brings in the pair of tusks of an elephant, dead from natural causes, shall receive a reward of four-and-a-half panas.
Suggestions by an experts committee on enhancing leaf fodder availability in India (1989) An integrated approach for the restoration and benefit of the community needs
to be adopted for temperate, tropical, and semi-arid fodder trees. Attention must be
focused on the following aspects while formulating government policies for
various integrated systems:
Promising trees and shrubs for introduction into the various climatic zones of
India must be identified, with simultaneous development of easy and quick
methods of raising suggested fodder trees under various integrated systems.
A rational proportion of tree and shrub cover in grazing lands needs to be
developed.
An efficient marketing network is needed to accelerate the judicious use and
to set proper prices for minor products.
The two-tier concept, providing forage to the animal population and
increasing the carrying capacity of the grazing lands, must be promoted. The
heterogeneity ensures better use of environmental resources as the biomorphs
are of different heights and their roots extend to different depths.
A diversified or multitiered silvipasture system, that will ensure better use of
solar energy, capture efficiency, and energy flow to the food chain, should be
developed.
People's involvement for proper restoration of fodder trees should be sought
while afforesting community lands.
The Van Panchayats (community tree plantations in villages) need to be
administered by a single department and a village committee should decide
on the areas to be used, the species to be planted, and on the protection and
207
maturity of plants. Enough fodder should be available within a 7 km walking
distance.
There should be a complete ban on the industrial use of fodder trees.
The principle of shrubs and fodder tree management should sustain supplies
of fodders together with rest periods to ensure recovery from any damage
caused by partial defoliation.
Lopping management varies from species to species depending on their
growth capacity after lopping, their active growing period, their period of leaf
fall, etc. However, the following guidelines can be kept in mind about their
management: fresh leaves should not be lopped as they are often toxic;
saplings and poles should not be lopped; about two seasons' rest is required
after lopping for recovery; lopping may be restricted to the lower two-thirds
of the crown, the upper one-third can produce the feed; at the time of
lopping, branches having a diameter of over 7.5 cm should be avoided; and
lopping should be avoided as much as possible on eroded areas or on areas
prone to erosion.
The incorporation rate of tree leaves and pods into the diets of different
livestock, without loss of animal performance, should be determined.
Large-scale production of complete pelleted feeds for sheep and goats should
be attempted by incorporating different tree leaves and pods that have fallen
to the ground.
The chemical composition of leaves and pods, nutritive values, and toxic
factors and the methods to remove them need to be studied.
The economic feasibility of incorporating fodder leaves and pods into
livestock diets needs to be determined.
Soil in PasturesIt has been observed that calves get affected with Rickets in spite of ample sunshine and plenty of Milk, on certain soil types of low fertility. Fertility of Soil is best nurtured and sustained by Rumens- Cows’ Urine and Dung.
During War time England, deliberately reduced its population of pigs and poultry to rely more on cow rumens to maintain the soil fertility.
A good pasture ecosystem will have certain physical factors, the soil, water, and air, that determine what microbes, plants and animals will live there.
The microbes, plants, and animals together with the soil, water and air they live in create the ecosystem.
These areas were often open spaces of low growing, grass, herbs, weeds, shrub vegetation suitable for grazing livestock.
Often the soil may not be suitable for growing a strong yield of crops or inaccessible for harvest equipment. Such as the undulating rocky areas and waste lands like in Mewat. It is in these very soils and locations that Pasture lands can be developed for our starving cows.
Urine and dung of these cows will enrich and restore the mineral balance of the soils in these waste lands.
Technological interventions for developing such waste lands can proceed on following basis.
1. Allocation and marking of such land. Local volunteers can be assigned to survey the available lands in coordination with local Panchayat level, land record coordinating agencies. A hand held GPS route recorder can mark and fix the land locations.
These parcels of land can be referred to as rangeland, prairie or tame seeded grasses.
RangelandMuch of the Canadian prairie landscape is composed of rangeland, where the natural vegetation is native species of grass, forbes and shrub. Community grazing land in Saskatchewan are almost always rangeland.
PrairieGrazing of cattle pastures can improve soil quality
"Researchers with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found that if cattle are managed so that they graze moderately, soil quality can be restored and emissions of carbon dioxide can be reduced. The researchers varied the number of cattle per acre and assessed how the soils responded to different grazing scenarios. Under each scenario, they looked at the amount of soil compaction that occurred, the amounts of organic carbon and nitrogen in the soil, and the amounts of surface plant residues, which help prevent erosion. They also looked at how the soil responded to three different fertilizer treatments (inorganic, mixed inorganic and organic broiler litter).
From an environmental standpoint, grasslands have traditionally been viewed as best managed by leaving the land unused. But the team found that while fertilizer type made little difference, different grazing scenarios produced different effects, and the grazed land produced more grass than the ungrazed land and had the greatest amount of carbon and nitrogen sequestered in soil. Sequestering carbon and nitrogen in soil has become a major goal for agriculture, since sequestration reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Further research findings will be published in the March 2011 issue of Agricultural Research magazine. (Source: USDA ARS, March 2011)"
LEISA Magazine • 24.2 • June 2008
Optimising nutrient cycles with trees in pasture fields
Karl NorthThe main weakness in sustainable grassland farming in humid ecosystems is the leaching of soil nutrients below the root zone of most forage species. Nature’s solution is a tree-dotted savanna – a system where the deeper roots of trees bring up leached minerals, via leaf and fruit drop. You can re-design pasture farms to copy such natural systems, as this example from the Northeast United States shows.
Most off-farm inputs, such as inorganic fertilizers, are dependent on cheap fossil fuel. To the farmers at Northland Sheep Dairy in New York, U.S.A., sustainability means relying more on the farm’s own natural resources rather than off-farm inputs. Basic requirements for farming system sustainability are: • healthy water and mineral cycles, apart from minerals lost in product sales, which we replenish with rock powder inputs; • good energy capture and use, for example in the shape of soil organic matter; and • optimum biodiversity.
What is Pulsed Grazing ?
Pulsed Grazing is a method of repeated grazing of paddocks (fenced off parts of a field) in a pasture. It controls livestock density and the timing of livestock movement to maximise forage production over the growing season. This in turn maximises manure production to build soil organic matter. Forage plants experience repeated pulses of growth and removal of biomass, both above and below ground, over the growing season. Key aspects:
• Livestock enter a paddock before forage leaves its vegetative stage and growth slows.
• Livestock leave a paddock while there is still sufficient forage leaf area to jump-start regrowth.
• Grazing causes forage roots to die back, which adds soil organic matter from the dead root mass.
• Livestock return to the same paddock when leaf and root regrowth have fully recovered vigour and ability to recover from another grazing.
Soils high in organic matter are central to establishing water and mineral cycles. Soils in humid temperate regions are exceptional in their ability to accumulate organic matter over years. Fifty years ago, André Voisin’s book “Grass Productivity” stated that “pulsed grazing” (see Box) on permanent pasture is the fastest soil organic matter building tool that farmers have, at least in temperate climates. So we tried to design our whole agroecosystem to adapt and improve on the natural grass-ruminant ecosystems that helped create the deep topsoils of midwestern North America. In summary, the design focuses on three crucial areas:
1. Pasture management for a wide variety of productive, palatable perennial forages, kept in a vegetative state via pulsed grazing throughout the growing season to maximise biomass production;
2. Manure storage in a deep litter bedding pack under cover that is refreshed daily during the cold season to maximise nutrient retention (i.e. so that no nitrogen escapes as ammonia) and livestock health;
3. Composting the bedding pack to a proper carbon/nitrogen ratio during the warm season to maximise organic matter production, nutrient stabilisation and retention, and spreading the compost during the warm season as well, to maximise efficient nutrient recycling to the soil.
This design is working well on our farm and confirms Voisin’s thesis: within a few years our forage production tripled, and soil organic matter is slowly improving. The weakest link in the mineral cycle in our wet climate is nutrient losses to leaching.
Integrating deep-rooted trees into the system
Our solution was to design such a model for our area: forage fields that will incorporate enough trees and other deep rooted plants to mend the break in the mineral cycle (see Figure). Trees can make the system more productive and healthier than forest and pasture separately. In Cuba we have seen such systems for orchard or timber production in pastures surrounded by live legume fence posts that were regularly cut for forage. We can take our cue from the Cuban model, but we must adapt it to the temperate climate of our area.
Figure: Trees reach down into the deep soil, bringing up minerals that would otherwise have leached out into groundwater.
To mend the mineral cycle broken due to leaching, we aimed to maximise trees per acre, along with deep-rooted perennial forages like chicory that we added to the hay/pasture species mix. But we needed to space the trees to complement and improve hay and pasture production, not compete with it. So there were conflicting goals, and we had to find a balance between them. We chose tree species and spacing to achieve:
• High shade. To spread shade, and therefore spread lounging livestock, manure and wear on the vegetative cover evenly in the field. Tall, narrow trees spread shade through the day in a wide arc that covers much ground. Short blocky tree shapes throw a shade pattern that covers less ground over the day.
• Optimal shade. For soil moisture retention, forage growth and forage species diversity. Forage in hotter climates will benefit from closer spacing.
• Easy machine harvesting of forage in between the tree rows. Of the three machines we use (mower, tedder/rake, and baler) we based the spacing on the widest machine.
In view of these conflicting requirements we have proceeded cautiously by spacing trees widely at first, and adding more later on as experience shows the need. We started with a tree species called “honey locust” (Gleditsia triacanthos) because it serves multiple functions. It is a legume tree that adds nitrogen to soil; it is a nutritious and palatable forage for either cut-andcarry or browsing by large animals like our work mules; and its shape and small leaves provide the light and high shade that our pasture and sheep management requires.
Later we plan to add trees that can produce a food product such as hazelnuts or chestnuts. For several years we have been thinning an old apple orchard and grazing it with sheep and horses. We are trying to find the optimal spacing between trees to achieve the best sun/shade mix for pasture grass growth. We feel that there is much to learn about how trees, grazing animals and grasslands can be managed to work together to maximise the productivity of the whole beyond that of each one managed separately. In the area, farms practising similar systems are still rare. Interest in low input systems is growing as inputs become too expensive, but policy support is still poor.
Karl North. Northland Sheep Dairy, 3501 Hoxie Gorge Rd, Marathon, New York, U.S.A.
E-mail: northsheep@juno.com ; http://www.geocities.com/northsheep/
Vedas on Pastures and Forests
अरण्यों का गोचर महत्व
RV 10-146-3
उत गाव इवादन्युत वेश्मेव दृष्यते।
उतो अरण्यानि: सायं शकटीरिव सर्जति।। ऋ 10-146-3
Cow with other animals find sustenance in the wild like in their homes, and when in the evening carts laden with forest produce emerge they return to their home, as if the gods in forests are sending them back to their homes with carts laden with bounties of the forests.
RV 10-146-4
गामङ्गैष आ ह्व्यति दार्वङ्गैषो अपावधीत।
वसन्नरण्यान्यां सायक्रुक्षदितिं मन्यते ।। ऋ 10-146-4
The gods of forest as if give directions to the cows from not going astray, and allow men to cut down on some trees. (It is now accepted that branches of trees should be regularly lopped off. This provides leaf fodder for cows, and fire wood for rural women. There a great advantage hidden in the practice of pruning forest trees. This allows sun light to reach the ground level to facilitate undergrowth in forests. This undergrowth not only stabilizes the forest soil. This prevents soil erosion that results in Landslides and Floods. Green Undergrowth ground cover also gives rise to Pseudomonas Syringe bacteria that ensure regular rains in forests.)Those who chose to make their dwellings in forest are subject to hearing fearful noises in the darkness of the nights.
RV 10-138-2
अवासृज: प्रस्व: श्वञ्चयो गिरिनुदाज उस्रा अपिबो मधु प्रियम।
अवर्धयो वनिनो अस्य दंससा शुशोच सूर्यं ऋतजातया गिरा।।
Mountains have prompted clouds to release their loads, to provide growth of the forests, and for the cows to partake of these sweet bounties. The cows have delivered their calves in the forest caves, and by the actions of Sun and rains this process has been doubly blessed.
5.1.1.4 RV 10-27-8
गावो यवं प्रयुता अर्यो अक्षन् ता अपश्यं सहगोपाश्चरन्तीः ।
हवा इदर्यो अभितः समायन्कियदासु स्वपतिश्छ्न्दयाते स्वपतिश्छन्दयाते।।ऋ10.27.8
The herd of cows under the care of the herdsman, are feeding themselves beyond sight ( in pasture) , on being called back they return to the homes of their owners to bless with plentiful bounties.
5.1.4 RV 10-100-1
ऊर्जं गावो यवसे पीवो अत्तन ऋतस्य या: सदने कोशे अङ्ध्वे !
तनूरेव तन्वो अस्तु भेषजमा सर्वतातिमदितिं वृणीमहे !!ऋ10.100.1
RV 10-100-10
Cows as you loiter around to graze in the greens to feed, to gather all the medicinal and nutritive components for your body, so that we are always blessed with a medicinal and brain building gifts. ( here reference is to high EFA-CLA milk , which is possible only with Green fodder .
This confirmed by the modern science as given below;
Dhiman,T.R., G.R. Anand . L. D. Satter and M.W.Pariza.(1999) “Conjugated Linoleic Acid content of Milk from cows Fed Different Diets.”J Dairy Sci 82(10);2146-56
) 5.2.0 About forest pastures (From panini Ashta Dyayi )
Planned breeding of Cows
5.2.0.1 PA 1-2-7 3ग्राम्यपशुसङ्घेष्वतरुणेषु स्त्री ।।
It appears that only cows were allowed to go out in the pastures, unaccompanied with male calves or Bulls. (This obviously helped to prevent indiscriminate breeding)
5.2.0.2 PA 3-3-74 निपानमहाव:
Special arrangements were provided to arrange water troughs for the cattle in Pastures.
5.2.3 5.2.0.3 PA 3-3-69 समुदोरजः पशुषु।।
समज: पशूनां समुदाय इत्यर्थ: उदज: पशूनां प्रेणा मित्यर्थ:-काशिका
Cows being a herd were referred to as Samaja & on being driven off to feed to gather were called Udaja.
5.2.4
5.2.0.4 PA 3-3-119 गोचरसञ्चर वह व्रज व्यजापणनिगमाश्च।
Cows were also kept in pastures, which were called Vraj.
Cow fed freely in pastures, guided by availability of vegetation and green cover as new pastures were developed. Carts laden with commercial produce also emerged from pastures.
5.4.0.5 PA 5-2-18 गोष्ठात् खञ् भूतपूर्वे ।।
The previously used land was called
gosht. Forest from where cattle were removed was called goshthin.
5.2.65.4.0.6 PA 5-4-7
:-आअतिशञ्ग्वीन-;अषडक्षाशितं ग्वलंकर्मालं पुरुषाधयुत्तर पदात् ख: :-
This confirms that in the forests on the periphery of villages, cows were provided with facilities to feed themselves in rotation
भव इन्द्रश्च रक्षतम्।
पूषञस्त्वं पर्यावर्तानष्टा आयन्तु नो गृहान्।। मं ब्रा 1.8.1 गोभिल गृह सूक्त 3-6-1
Oh Cow as you go out to graze in pastures, let this be the provider of Vigor for you to motivate the world for its sustenance and nutrition, without you causing any damage to the environments while grazing, and come back to your home safely.
2.2.2 RV6.54.5.
पूषा गा अन्वेतु न: पूषान्न पूषा रक्षवर्वतः । पूषा वाजं सनोतु नः ।। ऋ6-54-5
Pushan ( the protector by nutrition and. multiplier of all progeny) may push from back our cows and bring them backto us full of bounties for us
2.2.3 – RV 6.54.6
पूषन्ननु प्र गा इहि यजमानस्य सुन्वत:।
अस्माकं स्तुवतामुत || ऋ6-54-6
May Pusha thus provide bounties for the Yajman, the owners of the cows who worship them.
2.2.4- RV 6.54.7
माकिर्ने शन्माकीं रिषन्माकी स शारि केवटे।
अथारिष्टा भिरा गहि।।ऋ 6-54-7
Cows may not get hurt by falling in to water wells. And return to
us after grazing without injury.
3.1.23 AV-9-7-21-23 प्रत्यङ् तिष्ठन् धातोदङ् तिष्ठन्त्सविता ! तृणानि प्राप्त: सोमो राजा !! मित्र ईक्षमाण आवृत्त आनन्द: !!
When feeding facing west it gains physical strength. When feeding on green fodder, facing north it gains brain strength. By enjoying itself thus it develops a friendly temperament.
Cows when well fed and happy, are the supreme friendliness personified and on their return from the pastures they are embodiment of supreme happiness on earth.
1.1.0.7- RV 1-161-11 land must be suitable for providing cow feed and water to be prosperous
गोपालन के लिए उपयुक्त प्रदेश ही सम्पन्न बनता है
उद्वत्स्वस्मा अकृणोतना तृणं निवस्त्वपः स्वपस्यया नरः ।
अगोह्यस्य यदस्तना गृहे तदद्येदमृभवो नानु गच्छथ ॥ ऋ 1-161-11
ऊंचे स्थानों पर गौ के लिए चारा, नीचे स्थानों पर गौ के लिए जल संचय करने के साधन द्वारा अपने प्रदेश को गौ के रहने के लिए उपयोगी बनाने से सम्पन्नता आती है।
By proper arrangements for pastures on higher grounds and water harvesting in low lying areas, land must be made hospitable for cows. Only such lands enjoy bounties and prosperities flowing through cows.
1.1.08 12.73
वि मुच्याध्वमघ्या देवयाना अगन्म तमसस्पारमस्य|
ज्योतिरापाम|| यजु 12.73
1.1.09 Make the land free of those who kill Cows to satisfy their hunger.
Yaju 30.18 Death sentence for killing a cow
मृत्यवे गोव्यच्छमंतकाय गोघातं क्षुधे यो गां विकृन्तन्तं || यजु 30.18
गौ हत्या करने वाले को मृत्यु दंड दिया जाए.
1.1.10 Cows graze and choose what they feed on
RV1.25.16
परा मे यन्ति धीतयो गावो गव्यूतीरनु |
इच्छन्ति रुरुचक्षसम् || ऋ1.25.16
Cows visit the faraway pastures to feed on their choice of vegetation after close examination.
This matter has relevance to text found in Kashyap Sanghita
importance of Cows self fed in Pastures to deliver healthy milk.
Indian Tradition To develop new pasture lands & manage Forests Pastures & Indian Forest PolicyTraditionally in India as give in Vedas and Kautilya's Artha Shastra, the forests were treated in following categories.
1. Forests in the vicinity of habitat:
1.1 People with their domesticated cows were allowed free access to these forest areas. Roughly these forest areas were said to be about 5 miles deep . This was considered the distance up to which a cow's voice could be heard. Cow care givers- mostly ladies- would lead the cows in to this forest area. Cows would freely feed themselves on herbs and green undergrowth.
1.2 Ladies would be busy cutting the lower branches of the trees. This served many purposes. Firstly, the leaves would provide additional fodder for the cows. Secondly, by lopping off the lower branches of the trees, sun light could reach the forest floor. This allowed photosynthesis and growth of green ground cover. Rich undergrowth ground cover stabilized the soil by its roots, and prevented soil erosion, floods and landslides. The rotting vegetation on the ground was rich in bacteria such as Pseudomonas Syringe. This bacterium ensured good rains in the forests. In the evening when the cows with ladies returned to their dwellings back from forests with carts laden with chopped branches, the leaves were used as fodder, the wood was used for fuel in household.
2. One area of Forests was reserved for social forestry.
3. One area was fenced in to provide as sports and game resort.
4. Deep forest area was the reserve forest for big beasts and carnivore. This area was suitably fenced to prevent the wild life from straying out in to other semi inhabited areas.
The present Indian forest policies do not have such practices. Ancient Indians knew the importance of cows foraging in the peripheral forests on green herbs undergrowth and leaf fodder. The Cow dung and cow urine kept the soil in theses forest areas in good health. Indian forest authorities think that by allowing the cows in to the forests and the ladies cutting the lower branches of trees there, the forests are being damaged. To discourage this practice, the Indian forest departments have been replacing leaf fodder trees with planting inedible leaf trees like Pine. The pine needles falling from the trees completely mulch the ground and do not allow any green ground cover. With no green ground cover, no Pseudomonas Syringe the rain bearing clouds pass over the forest lands without shedding their loads of water. With no soil stabilization by ground cover land erosion and landslides become common occurrences. Good green forests fast turn in to deserts.
Cows are deprived of cheap healthy feed. These results in dependence on money to meet the house hold needs that were available free and forests fast turning in to deserts.
Social forestry has never been in the focus of Indian Forest Policies.
1. Wastelands should be developed in to Pasturelands
Rig Veda refers to waste lands thus:
अगव्यूति क्षेत्रमागन्म देवा उर्वी सती भूमिरंहूरणाभूत् ।
बृहस्पते प्र चिकित्सा गविष्टावित्था सते जरित्र इन्द्र पन्थाम् ।। RV6.47.20
We have come upon a vast tract of land that has no cows. It has the looks of having been devastated by wars. Bring on the cows and provide special care of this land to restore its health, and show the path for good citizens to bring it to life.
2. Forest /waste land management According to Kautilyas’s Arth Shastra:2.18
भूमिच्छिद्र-विधानम्
1.अकृष्यायां भूमौ पशुभ्यो विवीतानि प्रयच्छेत् |
प्रदिष्टाभयस्थावरजङ्ग्मानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ब्रह्मसोमारण्यानि, तपोवनानि च तपस्विभ्य गोरुतपराणि प्रयच्छेत् | तावन्मात्र मेकद्वारं खातगुप्तं स्वादुफलगुल्मगुच्छमकण्टकिद्रुममुत्तानातोयाशयं दान्तमृग्चतुष्पदं भग्नंखदंष्ट्र्व्यालं मार्गायुकहस्तिहस्तिनीकलभं मृगवनं विहारार्थं राज्ञ: करेत् |
Bráhmans shall be provided with forests for gurukuls , vegetable plantation, for religious learning, and for performing Somyag, and keeping cows. The area of this land should be the distance from where a cow can be heard roughly about 3KM across.
b. For the performance of penance by sages, similar forests areas safe from the dangers from animate or inanimate objects being rendered, and being named after the cows name (gótra) resident therein.
c. A forest as extensive as the above, provided with only one entrance rendered inaccessible by the construction of ditches all round, with plantations of delicious fruit trees, bushes, bowers, and thorn less trees, with an expansive lake of water full of harmless animals, and with tigers (vyála), beasts of prey (márgáyuka), male and female elephants, young elephants, and bisons—all deprived of their claws and teeth—shall be formed for the king's sports.
2.सर्वातिथिमृगं प्रत्यन्ते चयान्यन्मृगवनं बूमिवशेन वा निवेशयेत् |
On the extreme limit of the country or in any other suitable locality, another game-forest with game-beasts; open to all, shall also be made.
Social Forestry
3.कुप्यप्रदिष्टानां च द्रव्याणामेकैकशो वा वनं निवेशयेत्; द्रव्यवनकर्मांतानटवीश्च द्रव्यवनापाश्रया: |
In view of procuring all kinds of forest-produce described elsewhere, one or several forests shall be especially reserved. Manufactories to prepare commodities from forest produce shall also be set up. Wild tracts shall be separated from timber-forests. 4. प्रत्यन्ते हस्तिवनमटव्यारक्ष्यं निवेशयेत् | नागवनाद्यक्ष: पार्वतं नादेयं सारसमानूपं च नागवनं विदितपर्य न्तप्रवेशनिष्कसनं नागनपालै: पालयेत् | हस्तिघातिनं हन्यु: | दन्त युगं स्वयं मृतस्याहरत: सपादचतुष्पणो लाभ: |
In the extreme limit of the country, elephant forests, separated from wild tracts, shall be formed. The superintendent of forests with his retinue of forest guards shall not only maintain the up-keep of the forests, but also acquaint himself with all passages for entrance into, or exit from such of them as are mountainous or boggy or contain rivers or lakes. Whoever kills an elephant shall be put to death. Whoever brings in the pair of tusks of an elephant, dead from natural causes, shall receive a reward of four-and-a-half panas.
Suggestions by an experts committee on enhancing leaf fodder availability in India (1989)
An integrated approach for the restoration and benefit of the community needs
to be adopted for temperate, tropical, and semi-arid fodder trees. Attention must be
focused on the following aspects while formulating government policies for
various integrated systems:
Promising trees and shrubs for introduction into the various climatic zones of
India must be identified, with simultaneous development of easy and quick
methods of raising suggested fodder trees under various integrated systems.
A rational proportion of tree and shrub cover in grazing lands needs to be
developed.
An efficient marketing network is needed to accelerate the judicious use and
to set proper prices for minor products.
The two-tier concept, providing forage to the animal population and
increasing the carrying capacity of the grazing lands, must be promoted. The
heterogeneity ensures better use of environmental resources as the biomorphs
are of different heights and their roots extend to different depths.
A diversified or multitiered silvipasture system, that will ensure better use of
solar energy, capture efficiency, and energy flow to the food chain, should be
developed.
People's involvement for proper restoration of fodder trees should be sought
while afforesting community lands.
The Van Panchayats (community tree plantations in villages) need to be
administered by a single department and a village committee should decide
on the areas to be used, the species to be planted, and on the protection and
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maturity of plants. Enough fodder should be available within a 7 km walking
distance.
There should be a complete ban on the industrial use of fodder trees.
The principle of shrubs and fodder tree management should sustain supplies
of fodders together with rest periods to ensure recovery from any damage
caused by partial defoliation.
Lopping management varies from species to species depending on their
growth capacity after lopping, their active growing period, their period of leaf
fall, etc. However, the following guidelines can be kept in mind about their
management: fresh leaves should not be lopped as they are often toxic;
saplings and poles should not be lopped; about two seasons' rest is required
after lopping for recovery; lopping may be restricted to the lower two-thirds
of the crown, the upper one-third can produce the feed; at the time of
lopping, branches having a diameter of over 7.5 cm should be avoided; and
lopping should be avoided as much as possible on eroded areas or on areas
prone to erosion.
The incorporation rate of tree leaves and pods into the diets of different
livestock, without loss of animal performance, should be determined.
Large-scale production of complete pelleted feeds for sheep and goats should
be attempted by incorporating different tree leaves and pods that have fallen
to the ground.
The chemical composition of leaves and pods, nutritive values, and toxic
factors and the methods to remove them need to be studied.
The economic feasibility of incorporating fodder leaves and pods into
livestock diets needs to be determined.
Soil in PasturesIt has been observed that calves get affected with Rickets in spite of ample sunshine and plenty of Milk, on certain soil types of low fertility. Fertility of Soil is best nurtured and sustained by Rumens- Cows’ Urine and Dung.
During War time England, deliberately reduced its population of pigs and poultry to rely more on cow rumens to maintain the soil fertility.
A good pasture ecosystem will have certain physical factors, the soil, water, and air, that determine what microbes, plants and animals will live there.
The microbes, plants, and animals together with the soil, water and air they live in create the ecosystem.
These areas were often open spaces of low growing, grass, herbs, weeds, shrub vegetation suitable for grazing livestock.
Often the soil may not be suitable for growing a strong yield of crops or inaccessible for harvest equipment. Such as the undulating rocky areas and waste lands like in Mewat. It is in these very soils and locations that Pasture lands can be developed for our starving cows.
Urine and dung of these cows will enrich and restore the mineral balance of the soils in these waste lands.
Technological interventions for developing such waste lands can proceed on following basis.
1. Allocation and marking of such land. Local volunteers can be assigned to survey the available lands in coordination with local Panchayat level, land record coordinating agencies. A hand held GPS route recorder can mark and fix the land locations.
These parcels of land can be referred to as rangeland, prairie or tame seeded grasses.
Rangeland
Much of the Canadian prairie landscape is composed of rangeland, where the natural vegetation is native species of grass, forbes and shrub. Community grazing land in Saskatchewan are almost always rangeland.
PrairieGrazing of cattle pastures can improve soil quality
Researchers with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found that if cattle are managed so that they graze moderately, soil quality can be restored and emissions of carbon dioxide can be reduced. The researchers varied the number of cattle per acre and assessed how the soils responded to different grazing scenarios. Under each scenario, they looked at the amount of soil compaction that occurred, the amounts of organic carbon and nitrogen in the soil, and the amounts of surface plant residues, which help prevent erosion. They also looked at how the soil responded to three different fertilizer treatments (inorganic, mixed inorganic and organic broiler litter).
From an environmental standpoint, grasslands have traditionally been viewed as best managed by leaving the land unused. But the team found that while fertilizer type made little difference, different grazing scenarios produced different effects, and the grazed land produced more grass than the ungrazed land and had the greatest amount of carbon and nitrogen sequestered in soil. Sequestering carbon and nitrogen in soil has become a major goal for agriculture, since sequestration reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Further research findings will be published in the March 2011 issue of Agricultural Research magazine. (Source: USDA ARS, March 2011
Optimising nutrient cycles with trees in pasture fields
by Karl North The main weakness in sustainable grassland farming in humid ecosystems is the leaching of soil nutrients below the root zone of most forage species. Nature’s solution is a tree-dotted savanna – a system where the deeper roots of trees bring up leached minerals, via leaf and fruit drop. You can re-design pasture farms to copy such natural systems, as this example from the Northeast United States shows.
LEISA Magazine • 24.2 • June 2008
Optimising nutrient cycles with trees in pasture fields
Karl North
The main weakness in sustainable grassland farming in humid ecosystems is the leaching of soil nutrients below the root zone of most forage species. Nature’s solution is a tree-dotted savanna – a system where the deeper roots of trees bring up leached minerals, via leaf and fruit drop. You can re-design pasture farms to copy such natural systems, as this example from the Northeast United States shows.
Most off-farm inputs, such as inorganic fertilizers, are dependent on cheap fossil fuel. To the farmers at Northland Sheep Dairy in New York, U.S.A., sustainability means relying more on the farm’s own natural resources rather than off-farm inputs. Basic requirements for farming system sustainability are: • healthy water and mineral cycles, apart from minerals lost in product sales, which we replenish with rock powder inputs; • good energy capture and use, for example in the shape of soil organic matter; and • optimum biodiversity.
What is Pulsed Grazing ?
Pulsed Grazing is a method of repeated grazing of paddocks (fenced off parts of a field) in a pasture. It controls livestock density and the timing of livestock movement to maximise forage production over the growing season. This in turn maximises manure production to build soil organic matter. Forage plants experience repeated pulses of growth and removal of biomass, both above and below ground, over the growing season. Key aspects:
• Livestock enter a paddock before forage leaves its vegetative stage and growth slows.
• Livestock leave a paddock while there is still sufficient forage leaf area to jump-start regrowth.
• Grazing causes forage roots to die back, which adds soil organic matter from the dead root mass.
• Livestock return to the same paddock when leaf and root regrowth have fully recovered vigour and ability to recover from another grazing.
Soils high in organic matter are central to establishing water and mineral cycles. Soils in humid temperate regions are exceptional in their ability to accumulate organic matter over years. Fifty years ago, André Voisin’s book “Grass Productivity” stated that “pulsed grazing” (see Box) on permanent pasture is the fastest soil organic matter building tool that farmers have, at least in temperate climates. So we tried to design our whole agroecosystem to adapt and improve on the natural grass-ruminant ecosystems that helped create the deep topsoils of midwestern North America. In summary, the design focuses on three crucial areas:
1. Pasture management for a wide variety of productive, palatable perennial forages, kept in a vegetative state via pulsed grazing throughout the growing season to maximise biomass production;
2. Manure storage in a deep litter bedding pack under cover that is refreshed daily during the cold season to maximise nutrient retention (i.e. so that no nitrogen escapes as ammonia) and livestock health;
3. Composting the bedding pack to a proper carbon/nitrogen ratio during the warm season to maximise organic matter production, nutrient stabilisation and retention, and spreading the compost during the warm season as well, to maximise efficient nutrient recycling to the soil.
This design is working well on our farm and confirms Voisin’s thesis: within a few years our forage production tripled, and soil organic matter is slowly improving. The weakest link in the mineral cycle in our wet climate is nutrient losses to leaching.
Integrating deep-rooted trees into the system
Our solution was to design such a model for our area: forage fields that will incorporate enough trees and other deep rooted plants to mend the break in the mineral cycle (see Figure). Trees can make the system more productive and healthier than forest and pasture separately. In Cuba we have seen such systems for orchard or timber production in pastures surrounded by live legume fence posts that were regularly cut for forage. We can take our cue from the Cuban model, but we must adapt it to the temperate climate of our area.
Figure: Trees reach down into the deep soil, bringing up minerals that would otherwise have leached out into groundwater.
To mend the mineral cycle broken due to leaching, we aimed to maximise trees per acre, along with deep-rooted perennial forages like chicory that we added to the hay/pasture species mix. But we needed to space the trees to complement and improve hay and pasture production, not compete with it. So there were conflicting goals, and we had to find a balance between them. We chose tree species and spacing to achieve:
• High shade. To spread shade, and therefore spread lounging livestock, manure and wear on the vegetative cover evenly in the field. Tall, narrow trees spread shade through the day in a wide arc that covers much ground. Short blocky tree shapes throw a shade pattern that covers less ground over the day.
• Optimal shade. For soil moisture retention, forage growth and forage species diversity. Forage in hotter climates will benefit from closer spacing.
• Easy machine harvesting of forage in between the tree rows. Of the three machines we use (mower, tedder/rake, and baler) we based the spacing on the widest machine.
In view of these conflicting requirements we have proceeded cautiously by spacing trees widely at first, and adding more later on as experience shows the need. We started with a tree species called “honey locust” (Gleditsia triacanthos) because it serves multiple functions. It is a legume tree that adds nitrogen to soil; it is a nutritious and palatable forage for either cut-andcarry or browsing by large animals like our work mules; and its shape and small leaves provide the light and high shade that our pasture and sheep management requires.
Later we plan to add trees that can produce a food product such as hazelnuts or chestnuts. For several years we have been thinning an old apple orchard and grazing it with sheep and horses. We are trying to find the optimal spacing between trees to achieve the best sun/shade mix for pasture grass growth. We feel that there is much to learn about how trees, grazing animals and grasslands can be managed to work together to maximise the productivity of the whole beyond that of each one managed separately. In the area, farms practising similar systems are still rare. Interest in low input systems is growing as inputs become too expensive, but policy support is still poor.
Karl North. Northland Sheep Dairy, 3501 Hoxie Gorge Rd, Marathon, New York, U.S.A.
E-mail: northsheep@juno.com ; http://www.geocities.com/northsheep/
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