Hydroponics – Key to Boosting Milk Productivity?

Laxman Pai 08 May 2025

Green fodder is an essential component of the diet for dairy livestock, necessary for achieving high milk yields and ensuring sustainable dairy farming. However, challenges like scarcity of irrigated land, high labour costs, small land holdings, rising prices of conventional feeds, and natural calamities make the consistent availability of green fodder difficult, particularly in dry land areas or year-round.In response to these challenges, hydroponics technology has emerged as a promising alternative for producing green fodder for farm animals. Hydroponic green fodder involves growing plants without soil, typically in water or nutrient-rich solutions, over a short duration.

Recent research studies highlight the significant benefits of incorporating hydroponic fodder (HF) into the diets of lactating cows and buffaloes.

Hydroponics based Feed Production

Hydroponic fodder can be grown rapidly, typically within 7 to 8 days, compared to 60-70 days for conventional fodder. The process involves soaking and germinating seeds, then spreading them on trays within a controlled environment where they are irrigated with water, often automated.

The yield of HF from maize seeds can vary, with studies reporting yields of 7.0 kg or 6.2 kg of fresh fodder per kg of seed. Another source mentions it is possible to grow 13-14 kg from one kg of seeds. Thoughfully designed hydroponic devices have been fabricated and utilised successfully in scarce rainfall areas.

Maintaining hygiene is crucial in hydroponic systems to prevent fungal and bacterial infections. This includes proper cleaning of seeds, trays, and water tanks, and maintaining a clean environment.

Nutritional Value of Hydroponics based Feed

Hydroponically grown maize fodder possesses a higher nutritional value compared to conventional green fodder or maize grains. Specifically, HF has been found to have higher levels of:

Crude Protein (CP) (e.g., 13.62% vs 10.24% in conventional green fodder; 15.8% vs 9.75% in maize grain)
Ether Extract (EE)
Nitrogen Free Extract (NFE)

Conversely, HF tends to have lower levels of Crude Fibre, Total Ash, and Acid Insoluble Ash compared to conventional green fodder. The increased protein content in sprouts is attributed to a decrease in dry weight during germination. Sprouted grains are also reported to be a rich source of antioxidants and trace minerals like selenium and Zinc. The sprouting process affects enzyme activity, increasing total protein, altering the amino acid profile, and increasing sugars, crude fibre, certain vitamins, and minerals, while decreasing starch and total dry matter. These enzymes also lead to inter-conversions of simple components, enhancing the quality of amino acids and increasing vitamin concentrations.

HF includes the grass, grains, roots, stem, and leaves, unlike conventional fodder which mainly consists of stems and leaves. This makes HF much more easily digestible, with nutrients and enzymes that require less energy for digestion, potentially diverting more energy towards milk production and growth.

Effect on Milk Production and Composition

Feeding HF has demonstrated a positive impact on milk yield in both lactating cows and buffaloes.

In lactating cows, feeding 14 kg/day of HF along with dry sorghum straw/groundnut haulm and a reduced amount of concentrate feed resulted in a significantly higher mean daily milk yield (14.56 kg/day) compared to cows fed conventional green fodder with more concentrate (12.13 kg/day). This represents a 16.5% increase in milk yield. This higher yield is attributed to the high protein content and potentially higher digestible crude protein (DCP) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) in the HF ration. The palatability of HF, with animals consuming the entire mat including germinated seeds and roots, also contributes to less wastage and improved intake.
In milch buffaloes, supplementing the diet with 12 kg/day of HF, alongside sorghum straw, led to a 6.5% increased mean milk yield/day (6.88 kg/day) compared to the control group (6.46 kg/day).

Beyond quantity, HF also appears to improve milk composition. Both studies noted improvements in milk fat and solids not fat (SNF).

Lactating cows fed HF showed significantly higher mean fat (4.46%) and SNF (9.11%) compared to the conventional group (fat 4.06%, SNF 8.69%).
Milch buffaloes supplemented with HF also recorded higher mean fat (7.08%) and SNF (9.14%) compared to the control group (fat 6.78%, SNF 8.86%). A 4.42% improvement in milk fat was observed in the buffaloes fed HF.

Furthermore, lactating cows fed HF showed a significantly higher mean body weight.

Economic Viability of Hydroponics based Feed

One of the significant advantages of HF is its economic benefit for dairy farmers. Feeding HF allows for a partial reduction in concentrate mixture in the diet.

For lactating cows, the study showed that feeding 14 kg/day of HF allowed for a reduction of 2 kg of concentrate mixture compared to the conventional group. This resulted in a saving of 34% on feed cost per litre of milk (Rs. 13.29/litre vs Rs. 21.49/litre). The average daily gross income was 16.5% more (Rs. 435 vs Rs. 363), leading to an increased net profit of Rs. 241 per day per animal compared to Rs. 124 in the conventional group. The Benefit:Cost (B:C) ratio was also higher for the HF group (2.2) compared to the conventional group (1.5).
For milch buffaloes, supplementing 12 kg/day of HF resulted in a saving of Rs. 15.61 per buffalo per day on concentrate feed. The average daily gross income was 13.05% more (Rs. 250.47 vs Rs. 221.55). This led to an increased net profit of Rs. 44.58 per buffalo per day. The B:C ratio was 1:4.77 for the HF group versus 1:3.25 for the control group.

These results demonstrate that HF can significantly reduce feeding costs and increase profitability in dairy farming.

Other Advantages of Hydroponics based Feed

Beyond nutrition and economics, hydroponic fodder production offers several practical advantages over conventional methods:

Less land required: Hydroponic systems need significantly less area (e.g., 500 sq mt vs 1000 sq mt).
No dependency on land fertility or soil conditioning: Plants are grown without soil.
No fertilisers required.
Very low water and electricity requirement compared to conventional methods.
Less labour required.
Fodder produced in just 7 days.
No fencing or protection required.
Fodder yield is independent of climate, rain, or water availability as it’s grown in a controlled environment.
Complete utilisation by animals with less waste.
No chopping required for feeding, saving time and labour.
Year-round availability of fodder.
Weed-free and disease-free production without the need for chemicals.

Conclusion

The research strongly suggests that hydroponic maize fodder is an effective and economical solution for addressing green fodder shortages in dairy farming, particularly in scarce rainfall areas. Feeding HF to lactating cows and buffaloes results in improved nutrient digestibility, increased milk yield, enhanced milk composition (fat and SNF), and significant cost savings on concentrate feed, leading to higher net profits.

While hydroponic fodder might not fully replace green fodder and hay due to fibre content differences, it serves as an excellent substitute for packaged feeds and conventional fodder when scarcity is an issue. The adoption of low-cost hydroponic units makes this technology more accessible and sustainable for small and marginal dairy farmers.

Sources:

Study on hydroponic maize fodder effect on milk production by Dr. Kumar Naik AH, Dr. Parashurama Chandravamshi, Basavaraj Naik.M, Dr. Pradeep S, Dr. Sannathimmappa and Dr. Sunil C, Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry
STUDY ON EFFECT OF HYDROPONIC MAIZE FODDER SUPPLEMENTATION ON MILK YIELD IN MILCH BUFFALOES by ATTURI KRISHNA MURTHY, DHANALAKSHMI GUDURU, KALYAN CHAKRAVARTHY, Forage Res., 44 (1) : pp. 43-45 (2018)