Azolla is a free floating, rapidly growing aquatic fern on the water surface. It floats like a small, flat, compact green mass and the fern appears as a green mat over water.
Azolla is an ideal sustainable feed for cattle, fish, pigs, and poultry. It’s also used as a bio- fertilizer on the farm and fixes nitrogen. Azolla cultivation requires less investment, hence it is a low- cost alternative feed and good bio-fertilizer.
Preparation for Azolla farming
Cow dung is used to fertilize the azolla plant and also provide nutrients for the livestock. Mix solution of 1.5 kg of cow dung in a bucket then mix solution of 5 kg of rockless soil and add 150 g of super phosphate .
After installing the HDPE bed, fill the HDPE bed with water and add the cow dung, soil and phosphate solution to the pond and repeat once in every 30 days to provide sufficient nutrients to grow azolla. Finally transfer one kilogram of azolla seeds to the HDPE pond.
Harvesting Azolla
Azolla multiples faster in a shade. Within 7-10 days it covers the entire pond.
Harvest the floating azolla plant using a plastic tray having holes to drain the water. Azolla can be harvested daily. Wash the azolla to get rid of the cow dung smell and other plants.
Mix commercial feeds with Azolla in 1:1 ratio to feed the livestock .After two weeks you can feed the livestock without concentrate feeds. Azolla helps to increase milk production and immune system of cattle.
