C.R. RAMESH¹, BHAG MAL², C.R. HAZRA², D.H. SUKANYA¹, V. RAMAMURTHY¹ and S. CHAKRABORTY³

¹Dharwad Regional Station, Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (IGFRI), University of Agricultural Sciences Campus, Dharwad, Karnataka, India
²IGFRI, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India
³CSIRO Tropical Agriculture, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia

Abstract

India has 15% of the global livestock population with only 2% of the land area. The pressure on the limited land resource is constantly increasing due to urbanisation, industrialisation and land degradation. Already, most of the grassland is suffering ecological retrogression and increased soil erosion. Species of Stylosanthes have shown promise as a fodder, in agroforestry, silvipasture and hortipastoral systems to provide additional forage, enrich soil nutrients and stabilise soil to arrest land degradation. A major strength is the substantial seed industry, which currently produces over 1000 tonnes of seed per year. Several diseases (anthracnose, head blight and virus diseases) and the insect pest, Helicoverpa armigera, already recorded in India, pose a potential threat to the limited range of cultivars in use.
This paper briefly discusses recent developments in research to outline future prospects. Issues which can impact on the utilisation of Stylosanthes in India are discussed briefly. These include: the availability of improved germplasm adapted to a wide range of agro-ecological and production systems; the need for more private sector involvement in its utilisation to assure a strong future for the industry; improved seed production technology; and a realistic assessment of threats to the industry from pests and diseases.