Azolla as a Green Fodder Feed Supplent of Cross Breed Cows in District- Sehore (M.P.)

Background: Azolla is a floating fern also known as duck weed is belongs to the family Salviniaceae. Azolla is a good source of protein and contains almost all essential amino acids and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, manganese etc. Methods: In the present dairy business, the cost of milk production is increasing due to market based feed management and lack of green fodder. In the context of which, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, District- Sehore (M.P.) were conducted 20 no of trais in the field of farmers during 2014-15 and 2015-16. KVK, Sehore assessed the technology is Dry fodder 4 Kg/ Day/ Animal + Green Fodder @ 20 Kg/ Day/ Animal + 2 Kg Concentrate feed/Day/Animal for body maintenance alongwith additional 1 Kg Concentrate feed/Day/Animal in every 3 litre Milk yield + 50 gm mineral mixture/ Day/ Animal. Result: Under the assessed technology, farmers found 12.5 per cent milk enhancement in assessed technology 2 as compared to farmers practice (Assessed technology-1) and 26.04 per cent higher milk yield in assessed technology 3 as compared to farmers practice (Assessed technology-1) likewise 4.76 per cent enhance the fat per cent in assessed technology 2 as compared to farmers practice (Assessed technology-1) and 9.24 per cent enhance the fat per cent in assessed technology 3 as compared to farmers practice (Assessed technology-1).

Performance of Aquatic Plant Species for Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals Contaminated Water

Heavy metals and organic pollutants are ubiquitous environmental pollutants affecting the quality of soil, water and air. Over the past 5 decades, many strategies have been developed for the remediation of polluted water. Use of aquatic plants to extract, sequester and/or detoxify pollutants and is a new and powerful technique for environmental clean up. Plants are ideal agents for soil and water remediation because of their unique genetic, biochemical and physiological properties. The aim of this work is to evaluate the potential of free floating duck weed Spirodela polyrhiza to remove heavy metals from waste water and the biochemical effect of heavy metals on Spirodela polyrhiza. Approximately 93% of total heavy metal induced – toxicity appears resulting in the reduced activities of nitrate reductase, total chlorophyll and protein content of the plant. The results recommended the use of Spirodela polyrhiza to ameliorate the wastewater contaminated with heavy metals.

Application of Floating Aquatic Plants in Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals Polluted Water: A Review

Heavy-metal (HM) pollution is considered a leading source of environmental contamination. Heavy-metal pollution in ground water poses a serious threat to human health and the aquatic ecosystem. Conventional treatment technologies to remove the pollutants from wastewater are usually costly, time-consuming, environmentally destructive, and mostly inefficient. Phytoremediation is a cost-effective green emerging technology with long-lasting applicability. The selection of plant species is the most significant aspect for successful phytoremediation. Aquatic plants hold steep efficiency for the removal of organic and inorganic pollutants. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) and Duck weed (Lemna minor) along with some other aquatic plants are prominent metal accumulator plants for the remediation of heavy-metal polluted water. The phytoremediation potential of the aquatic plant can be further enhanced by the application of innovative approaches in phytoremediation. A summarizing review regarding the use of aquatic plants in phytoremediation is gathered in order to present the broad applicability of phytoremediation.

Comparative study on growth performance of Thai Sharpunti (Puntius gonionotus) using two different weeds Duck weed (Lemna minor) and Azolla fern (Azolla pinneta)

The comparative growth performance study of Thai Sharpunti (Puntius gonionotus) was conducted from 20th March to 18th May, 2012by using duck weed (Lemna minor ) and Azolla fern (Azolla pinneta ) as in earthen pondof the Department of Aquaculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. Duck weed and Azolla fern were supplied as dietary feed in two separate treatments and each with three replications. Fifteen fingerlings of Thai sharputi was stocked in each pond. Average size and weight of Thai sarputi were 5.75 cm and 21g in T1 and 5.50 cm and20g in T2, respectively. The ranges of physico-chemical parameters viz, water temperature (25.00 to 33.500C), air temperature (31.00 to 34.500C), transparency (28 to 34 cm),dissolved oxygen (6.00 to 7.20 mg/l), free CO2 (2.00 to 3.33 mg/l), pH (6.9 to 7.45), total alkalinity (48 to 61 mg/l), phosphate-phosphorus (1.40 to 2.50 mg/l) and nitrate-nitrogen (2.13 to 3.20 mg/l) were within the productive range. Initial body weight, final body weight, weight gain, survival rate, specific growth rate(SGR), food convertion ratio (FCR), percent weight gain, average daily gain (ADG) were observed as21 and 20g, 356g and 308g, 335 and 288g, 90 and 85%, 558and 480% per day, 5.28 and 6.10, 1595 and 1440%, 5.58 and 4.80g in both the treatments,respectively. Calculated gross and net fish production in T1 with duck weed were 2.40 and 2.08 ton/ha/yr and in T2 with Azolla fern were 2.26 and 1.94 ton/ha/yr, respectively. It was found that the net fish production in T1 was 1.32 times higher than T2 (P?0.01, 0.05). The present study showed influence of duck weed as dietary feed on the production of Thai Sharpunti (P. gonionotus ) was positively significant. So it might be concluded that duckweed had better effect as dietary feed than Azolla fern on monoculture of Thai sharpunti.Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.2(2): 369-374, August 2015