Production Potential of Fodder Obtained from the Meadow-Rangelands and Forage Crops Fields in Siirt Province

Abstract

Due to the geographical structure of Siirt Province, mainstay of a significant part of the population is based on livestock and crop production. Livestock is usually carried out in the form of meadows-pastures livestock. The most essential feed group in animal production is forage. At present, the dry hay amount provided from meadow-rangelands and forage crops are 130.461 and 60.177 tonnes, respectively. On the other hand, there are 101.899 of animal existence equivalent to livestock unit in Siirt. The fodder requirements of these animals are 464.914 tons per year. Total fodder production of province from natural meadow-range areas and forage crop cultivation is 190.638 tonnes but this is enough for 41% of animal existence. Therefore, management techniques must be followed and should be accelerated to the breeding studies to increase productivity in existing meadow-rangelands. Besides, cultivation area of forage crops should be increased and the crop rotation systems must be developed and priority should be given to forage crops within the crop rotation system particularly in fallow areas.

Keywords

• Siirt
• meadow
• range
• forage crops
• animal existence