Azolla as Livestock Feed (Animals/Poultry/Fish)

Azolla (water fern) for livestock feed/animal feed

Azolla (Azolla sp.) is a highly productive plant. Azolla is a genus of seven species of aquatic ferns in the Salviniaceae family.  It’s high in protein and minerals, fixes nitrogen, is palatable to chickens, pigs, poultry, goats, ducks, and cows, and can be grown on any closed body of water.

A step by step guide for Azolla production for livestock feed

Azolla can be fed to livestock in a fresh or dried form. It can be given directly or mixed with concentrates on cattle, poultry, sheep, ducks, goats, pigs, and rabbits. It takes a few days for the animals to get used to the taste of Azolla, so it is better to feed it with the concentrates in the initial stages. When dung is used as fertilizer in the backyard Azolla ponds, the Azolla must be washed thoroughly with fresh water to remove the smell of the dung. As fresh Azolla is highly perishable, it is advisable to dry it immediately when there is a surplus, or for livestock species for which a dried form is more practical or preferable. Azolla is dried in the shade and stored dry, for example in a plastic bin, for later use. Azolla is a floating fern mostly utilized as biofertilizer for wetland paddy and it belongs to the family of Azollaceae. Azolla was found to be a nutritive and cheap organic feed substitute for dairy cattle.

Azolla used as Biofertilizer

Azolla fixes atmospheric nitrogen and store in leaves; so, it is used as green manure. It has been observed, and well appreciated by rice farmers they cultivate Azolla in paddy farm there is increase rice production by about 20%.

Azolla Nutritive Value

Azolla is rich in protein, almost 20 to 25% CP on a dry weight basis. It is also found to contain essential minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, etc apart from appreciable quantities of vitamin A and vitamin B12. It is found to contain almost all the essential amino acids, probiotics, bio-polymers, and beta carotene.

How to grow Azolla to feed your livestock

Production of Azolla

Sieved fertile soil mixed with cow dung and then water need to be spread uniformly in the pond. About one kilogram of fresh Azolla culture is required for a pond of 6 X 4 feet size. It has to be applied uniformly in the pond. Biogas slurry can be used instead of dung. The depth of water should be 4 to 6 inches. During the monsoon season, if rainwater can be harvested from the rooftops and used for the cultivation of Azolla, it will ensure excellent and faster growth of the Azolla plant. A few farmers used this practice in the project area and got encouraging results. If the total salt content of the water used for growing Azolla is high, it will adversely affect the plant growth.

Water acidity (pH)

Azolla can survive within a pH level of 3.5 to 10. It cannot grow in acidic soils with a pH level below 3.5.

Temperature

Azolla can tolerate a wide range of temperatures and some species can survive in temperatures as low as -5°C. The growth of Azolla is reduced above 35°C and no species can survive if temperatures remain above 45°C for prolonged periods.

The optimum temperature levels for most species are between 18 and 28°C, although this can be as high as 30°C for species such as A. pinnata, A. mexicana, and A. caroliniana.

The light requirement for growing Azolla

Light affects photosynthesis and regulate nitrogenase activity in the Azolla plant. Azolla species grow best in less than full sunlight except in high latitudes during spring.

Selection of location for the pond

It is better to choose an area near to the house to ensure regular upkeep and monitoring of the pond. A suitable water source must be nearby for regular water supply. The site under partial shade is ideal or else, shade has to be formed to reduce the evaporation of water and also, for better growth of Azolla. The floor area of the pond should be free of pointed stones, plant roots, and thorns that can puncture the sheet and cause leakage of water.

Pond size and construction for growing Azolla

The size of the pond depends on factors such as the number of animals, the quantity of supplemental feed required, and the availability of resources. Thin wooden poles or bamboo sticks are to be located over the pond walls to support the shade net. Bricks can be used as weights on the edges for securing the plastic sheet and also, the net over the pond area.

Azolla cultivation procedure

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The cultivation of plants in India all has different methods and the same goes for the cultivation of the Azolla plant. You can start using a mixture of fertile soil, cow dung, and water. Spread this mixture across the pond. Make sure this is executed well as it is the foundation step in the cultivating procedure. The water must be about 5-6 inches in depth. You can use Azolla culture and then spread it across as well. About 1kg of this must be enough for the average-sized pond. Apart from this, do not forget to check the water for alkaline levels. For its maintenance after the briefing of cultivation, use 1 kg of cow dung and about 100 grams of superphosphate to the plant once every 2 weeks or so.

Harvesting of Azolla

Depends on the initial quantity of culture added, environmental conditions, Azolla plant growth in the pond will be complete in about 2 to 3 weeks. It can be harvested daily after the full plant growth. Plastic sieves could be used to harvest the biomass from the pond’s surface. About 800 to 900 grams of fresh Azolla (mean yield per day in a season) can be produced from an area of about 6 X 4 feet. Azolla can be fed to the livestock in fresh or dried form. It can be given mixed or directly with concentrates to cattle, poultry, sheep, goat, pigs, and rabbits. Azolla has to be washed thoroughly with fresh water to remove the smell of dung.

Azolla for livestock feed

Azolla can be fed to the livestock in fresh or dried form. It takes a few days for the animals to obtain acquainted with the taste of Azolla. Thus, it is better to feed it along with the concentrates in the initial stages so the fresh Azolla should be mixed with commercial feed in a 1:1 ratio to feed livestock at the initial stage. After a fortnight of feeding on Azolla mixed with concentrate, livestock can be fed with Azolla without added concentration.

• Rich in proteins, essential amino acids, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and Beta- Carotene, growth promoter intermediaries and minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, potassium, ferrous, copper, and magnesium
• Dry weight basis, it contains 10 – 15 percent minerals, 25 – 35 percent protein, and 7 – 10 percent of amino acids, bio-active substances, and bio-polymers
• Livestock animals easily digest it, owing to its high protein and low lignin content
• Azolla can be mixed with concentrates or can be given directly to livestock and can also be fed to poultry, sheep, goats, pigs, and rabbits.

Method of Azolla production

• About 10-15 kg of sieved fertile soil mixed it with about 5 kg cow dung and makes the slurry in needed water to be spread uniformly in the pit/pond.
• The water level must be filled in pit/pond at three fourth part of pit/pond size and also regularly maintain this same level.
• About 1 to 1.5 kg of fresh Azolla culture is needed for a pond of 6 × 4 feet in size.
• After the inoculation of culture, the pond must be covered with a green net to provide partial shade and also, to prevent the fall of plant leaves and other debris into the pond.
• After 10-15 days, Azolla fills the pit or pond as it grows rapidly after that we can remove one kg every day for animal feeding.
• Once every 15 days, application of 2 to 5 kg buffalo dung, 100 g superphosphate should be added to obtain better growth of Azolla.
• Any litter or aquatic weeds are seen in the pond must be removed regularly.
• The pond needs to be emptied once in 6 months and cultivation has to be restarted with fresh Azolla
• In case of contamination of the pits by pests and diseases, the cleaning of the previous biomass of Azolla and water from the affected pit must be done and fresh inoculation must be done with the pure culture of Azolla.

How much Azolla to feed to your livestock

Azolla Animal Amount per Day

Adult cow, buffalo, bullock – 1.5-2.0 kg

Goat – 300-500 grams

Pig – 1.5-2.0 kg

Layer/broiler – 20-30 grams

Rabbit – 100 grams.

Azolla as Livestock feed

Fresh Azolla can be mixed with commercial feed in the ratio of 1:1 or given directly to livestock. It was found that milk production in cattle increased by 10 to 12% when they were fed with Azolla. It is found that Azolla feeding improves milk quality.

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Production of Azolla for livestock feed purpose

The farmer should choose a shaded pond close to the house (to ensure regular upkeep and monitoring) and to a water source. An area of 4-4.5 m² and 10 to 15 cm deep can produce about 2 kg/d of fresh Azolla, enough to supplement 2 dairy cows. A plastic sheet must be spread in the pond and properly secured. To initiate Azolla growth, sieved fertile soil mixed with water and cow dung (or biogas slurry) must be added as fertilizer and the pond should be inoculated with a fresh culture of Azolla about 800 g for a 2 m² pond. The crop is maintained by application of about 1 kg of cow dung and 80 to 100 grams of superphosphate every 2 weeks. The first crop must be ready in 15-20 days and can then be harvested daily. The pond needs to be emptied once in 6 months.

Azolla plant has enormous potential as a livestock feed due to;

• Its high content in proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B12, and Beta Carotene), growth promoter intermediaries, and minerals.
• Its ability to proliferate without inorganic nitrogen fertilization.
• Its high rate of plant growth in water without the need to displace existing crops or natural ecological systems.

Azolla as Poultry feed

Poultry and in particular chickens and ducks can be raised on a diet including fresh Azolla. The poultry industry has traditionally been one of the profitable businesses in agriculture, providing nutritious meats and eggs for human consumption within the shortest possible time. Though, the industry is now threatened by higher prices and the non-availability of feed ingredients, reflecting feed costs comprising 60 to 65% of the total cost of poultry production.

The nutrient digestibility of crude protein, crude fat, and crude fiber was not affected by the level of Azolla in the ration, and broilers can readily digest the crude fiber in Azolla, but not that in rice bran, so digestibility is not a limiting factor when Azolla is used. Though, feeding Azolla to poultry improves the weight of broiler chickens and increases the egg production of layers. The only input is some manure and phosphate. Though, fresh Azolla can partially replace whole soya beans up to a level of about 20% of the total crude protein in diets of fattening ducks. The birds that received normal feed with 5% extra supplementation of Azolla showed a 10 to 12% increase in the total body weight. Dietary inclusion of sun-dried Azolla up to about 5% levels had no adverse effect on the production performance of broiler chicken. Then, the feed cost per kg gain is reduced and the net profit per bird being higher.

Utilization of Azolla as cattle feed

The hitherto produce Azolla must be harvested with a large sieve having holes of 1 cm. mesh size to drain the water. Harvested Azolla must be washed with clean water to get rid of the cow dung smell. This Azolla can be was fed to cattle after mixing in concentrate ratio in a 1:1 ratio.1.5 to 2.0 Kg of Azolla may be fed to a milch animal per day.

Fresh Azolla can be mixed with commercial feed in the ratio 1:1 or given directly to livestock feed. It was found that milk production in cattle increased by 10 to 12% when they were fed with Azolla. It is found that Azolla feeding improves the quality of milk. These selected animals had already completed 3 months of the lactation period. The observations on milk yield and milk fat percentage were recorded for 3 months starting from one month after the Azolla was included in the ration of animals.

Feeding of Azolla after replacing about 50% of groundnut cake nitrogen, improved growth performance of buffalo calves. Feed conversion efficiency and economics of feeding were significantly improved and dried Azolla meal has been reported to replace about 25 percent of the total protein in the concentrate mixture without any adverse effect. In a field trial, an overall increase of milk yield of about 15 percent has been observed when 1.5 to 2 kg of fresh Azolla per day was combined with regular feed.

Azolla as fish feed

Azolla is a suitable supplemental feed for herbivorous fish such as tilapia. Some trials have shown that tilapia can consume Azolla by 50 – 80% of their weight per day. Azolla meal protein can replace up to about 100% of the soybean meal protein in the diet of black tiger shrimp without any adverse effect. Though, the low-cost feed has been formulated using Azolla as a protein supplement in the extensive system of fish rearing. Azolla based diets have given quite encouraging results when fed to juvenile tilapia fish. The high level of crude protein of Azolla and higher lysine concentration indicated that Azolla plants can be a good source of fish feed. And, among protein plant sources, the plant seems to be a good replacer of protein from expensive sources that are fish meal and oil depending on the feeding habits of the fish species.

Azolla benefits when used as a livestock feed

• Azolla is rich in proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
• The integrated use of Azolla with rice and fish farming has developed. The integrated approach can enhance a farmer’s income while reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers and thus environmental pollution.
• Azolla can fix atmospheric nitrogen; carry out photosynthesis and uptake nutrients from its surrounding environment through its root system.
• Azolla has a wide range of use including fodder for dairy cattle, pigs, chicken, ducks, and fish.
• Azolla can be used for all types of vegetables and plantation crops and rich in essential amino acids, vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B12, and Beta- Carotene), growth promoter intermediaries, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, potassium, ferrous, copper, and magnesium, etc.
• On a dry weight basis, Azolla contains about 25 to 35 percent protein, 10 to 15 percent minerals, and 7 to 10 percent of amino acids, bio-active substances, and bio-polymers.
• Azolla is a nutrient feeder and prevents Algal blooms in farm dams as a result, keeping water usable for stock.
• Azolla can be easily harvested with a scoop net or grown in enclosed, floating rings that can be pulled to the edge for easy harvest.

Downsides of Azolla

• Being as Azolla is a water plant; it can clog up water lines and pumps coming from farm dams if that dam is fully colonized with Azolla.
• And, dead Azolla in a body of water can reduce the waters’ oxygen content for a time.
• Given its growth rate, do check if Azolla plant is considered invasive where you are, if adding it to a body of water it could escape from to others. If so, devise a plan for cultivation where it can’t get away.

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