Fоrаgе crоps аnd thеir аpplicаtiоn in livеstоck breeding
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61308/NHCK5199Keywords:
fоrаgе crоps, livеstоck breeding, sustаinаblе аgriculturе, fоddеr quаlity, gеnеtic imprоvеmеntAbstract
This review paper provides a systematized information of the species diversity, agrotechnical traits, growing methods, storage practices, and ways to use the main forage crops. It considers traditional grasses and legumes, as well as cereal crops that are used for silage and hydroponic fodder production. Special focus is made on highly advanced technologies from hydrophonic systems up to a range of fermentation technologies alongside genetic improvements that improve production while advocating environmentally friendly livestock rearing. This review also includes a local view of forage production in Bulgaria, considering the regional climate, farming conditions, and social and economic challenges. It also reveals forages' potential role for enhancing a more sustainable livestock sector by improving animal performance while decreasing carbon footprint levels alongside helping rural areas be stable as well as productive. Special focus is made on genetic variability alongside breeding potential in forages based on insights from some recent studies pointing out genotypic variation alongside heritability for effective selection.
References
Angelova, R. & Ivanova, D. (2023). Opportunities and challenges to sustainable agriculture in Bulgaria. Trakia Journal of Sciences, 21(Suppl. 1), 153 - 158. doi:10.15547/tjs.2023.s.01.027.
Anzalone, A. V., Koblan, L. W. & Liu, D. R. (2020). Genome editing with CRISPR–Cas nucleases, base editors, transposases and prime editors. Nature Biotechnology, 38(7), 824 - 844.
Balasubramaniam, T., Wijewardene, I., Hu, R., Shen, G., Zhang, J. & Zhang, H. (2022). Co-overexpression of AVP1, PP2A-C5, and AtCLCc in Arabidopsis thaliana greatly increases tolerance to salt and drought stresses. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 200, 104934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2022.104934.
Balehegn, M., Kebreab, E., Tolera, A., Hunt, S., Erickson, P., Crane, T. A. & Adesogan, A. T. (2021). Livestock sustainability research in Africa with a focus on the environment. Animal Frontiers, 11(4), 47 - 56. https://doi.org/10.1093/af/vfab034.
Behera, P. P., Singode, A., Bhat, B. V., Borah, N., Verma, H., Supriya, P. & Sarma, R. N. (2024). Identifying genetic determinants of forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (Moench)) adaptation through GWAS. BMC Plant Biology, 24, Article 1043. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-024-05754-6.
Bhatnagar, S., Chaudhary, R., Sharma, S., Janjhua, Y., Thakur, P., Sharma, P. & Keprate, A. (2024). Exploring the dynamics of climate-smart agricultural practices for sustainable resilience in a changing climate. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 24, 100535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2024.100535.
Cahyadi, E. R., Hidayati, N., Zahra, N. & Arif, C. (2024). Integrating Circular Economy Principles into Agri-Food Supply Chain Management: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability, 16(16), 7165. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167165.
Chauhan, C. & Singh, S. K. (2019). Genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance studies in oat (Avena sativa L.). International Journal of Chemical Studies, 7(1), 992 - 994.
Chen, W., Ye, M., Pan, X., Li, M., Zeng, G., Zhang, X., He, Q., Gu, X., Qian, J., Lv, Y. & Che, J. (2024). Relationships and Changes in Grassland Community Diversity and Biomass in the Pastoral Areas of the Two Rivers under Grazing Disturbance. Agronomy, 14(6), 1336. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14061336.
Churkova, B. & Churkova, K. (2025). Forage quality characteristics of meadow legume crops grown under mountain conditions. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 31(3), 482 - 487.
Dejene, M., Kehaliew, A., Feyissa, F., Kebede, G., Kitaw, G., Terefe, G., Walelegne, M., Mekonnen, B., Biratu, K. & Geleti, D. (2024). Enhancing production, nutritional qualities and utilization of fibrous crop residues in smallholder crop‑livestock systems: Potential intervention options and progress toward sustainable livestock production. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1006058.
Delcheva, E. (2023). Efficient Farming and Technological Solutions in the Agricultural Sector in Bulgaria. Trakia Journal of Sciences, 21(Suppl. 1), 208 - 212. doi:10.15547/tjs.2023.s.01.036.
Elmulthum, N. A., Zeineldin, F. I., Al‑Khateeb, S. A., Al‑Barrak, K. M., Mohammed, T. A., Sattar, M. N. & Mohmand, A. S. (2023). Water use efficiency and economic evaluation of the hydroponic versus conventional cultivation systems for green fodder production in Saudi Arabia. Sustainability, 15(1), 822. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010822.
FAO (2023). Thе Futurе оf Livеstоck in Аfricа: Оppоrtunitiеs аnd Chаllеngеs in а Chаnging Climаtе.
Gallo, A., Moschini, M., Cerioli, C. & Masoero, F. (2013). Use of principal component analysis to classify forages and predict their calculated energy content. Animal, 7(6), 930 - 939. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731112002467.
Ganchev, G., Ilchev, A. & Koleva, A. (2019). Digestibility and energy content of Paulownia (Paulownia elongata S.Y.Hu) leaves. Agricultural Science and Technology, 11(4), 307 - 310. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15547/ast.2019.04.051.
Georgieva, N. & Nikolova, I. (2021). Productivity and Chemical Composition of Soybean under Water Deficit and Spider Mite Attack Conditions. Journal of Mountain Agriculture on the Balkans, 24(6), 219 - 237.
Georgieva, N., Kosev, V. & Mitev, D. (2023). Productivity and stability of grasses in the Middle Balkan Mountains region. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 29(5), 825 - 832.
Georgieva, N., Kosev, V., Naydenova, G. & Mitev, D. (2019). Ecological assessment of grass associations in the Balkan Mountains conditions. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture, 35(3), 187 - 196. https://doi.org/10.1080/01448765.2019.1584866.
Georgieva, N., Kosev, V. & Tahsin, N. (2023). Genetic diversity and breeding assessment of Vicia faba genotypes. Journal of Mountain Agriculture on the Balkans, 26(1), 140 - 155. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375060914.
Georgieva, N., Nikolova, I. & Naydenova, Y. (2016). Vegetative performances, chemical composition and feeding value of soybean under impact of water deficit and spider mites. International Journal of Development Research, 6(12), 10485 - 10494. [ISSN: 2230-9926].
Georgieva, N., Stoycheva, I., Kosev, V. & Naydenova, G. (2024). Study of non‑traditional forage crops in the Central Northern Bulgaria conditions: I. Trigonella foenum‑graecum L. Journal of Mountain Agriculture on the Balkans, 27(1), 75 - 92. ISSN 1311‑0489 (print), 2367‑8364 (online).
Ghosh, S. (2025). Soil-less cultivation: The science of hydroponic farming. Research Gate, 7(5), 329 - 332, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/391347279_Soil-Less_Cultivation_The_Science_of_Hydroponic_Farming
Gierus, M., Salama, H. S. A., Lösche, M., Herrmann, A. & Taube, F. (2024). Protein and Carbohydrate Fractionation to Evaluate Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) Accessions. Agronomy, 14, 168. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14010168.
Gwaka, L. T. (2017). Digital technologies and sustainable livestock systems in rural communities. The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 81(6), 1 - 24. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1681-4835.2017.tb00598.x.
Gyani, P. C., Mahato, R., Yadav, P., Patidar, O. P., Kushwaha, N., Prajapat, R. K., Roy, A., Gayan, P., Maity, A. & Pakhira, R. (2025). Applications of artificial polyploid induction for genetic improvement of plants. Asian Journal of Current Research, 10(1), 114 - 130. https://doi.org/10.56557/ajocr/2025/v10i19097.
Hadzhiivanova, B., Taneva, K., Bozhanova, V. & Dragov, R. (2025). Evaluation of yield and quality of advanced durum wheat lines obtained by the distant hybridization method. Bulgarian Journal of Crop Science, 62(1), 3 - 16 (Bg).
Huang, Y., Guo, Y., Liu, Y., Zhang, F., Wang, Z., Wang, H., Wang, F., Xiang, Z. & Wang, R. (2018). 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 3 regulates plant growth and enhances multi-abiotic stress tolerance in rice. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9, 162.
Indu, I. A., Mehta, B. K., Shashikumara, P., Gupta, G., Dikshit, N., Chand, S., Yadav, P. K., Ahmed, S. & Singhal, R. K. (2022). Forage crops: a repository of functional trait diversity for current and future climate adaptation. Crop & Pasture Science, 74(11) 961 - 977.
Jаtutu, S. S., Muhаmmаd, А. S., Еgbо, M. L., Bеllо, K. M., Tijjаni, B. M. & Muаzu, M. S. (2024). Еffеct оf hydrоpоnic mаizе fоddеr оn hеmаtоlоgy аnd sеrum biоchеmistry оf wеаnеr rаbbits. Nigеriаn Jоurnаl оf Аgriculturе аnd Аgriculturаl Tеchnоlоgy, 4(3), 247 - 253.
Karnatam, K. S., Mythri, B., Un Nisa, W., Sharma, H., Meena, T. K., Rana, P., Vikal, Y., Gowda, M., Dhillon, B. S. & Sandhu, S. (2023). Silage maize as a potent candidate for sustainable animal husbandry development - perspectives and strategies for genetic enhancement. Frontiers in Genetics, 14, 1150132. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2023.1150132.
Katova, A. (2025). Approaches and achievements in breeding of perennial grasses in Bulgaria (Review). Bulgarian Journal of Crop Science, 62(1), 69 - 81.
Keerthana, K., Ganesan, K. N., Iyanar, K., Sivakumar, S. D., Jeyakumar, P. & Ezhilarasi, T. (2022). Identification of superior pearl millet × Napier hybrids with enhanced green fodder yield and quality through genetic variability studies. YMER, 21(8), 1144 - 1154
Kosev, V. & Georgieva, N. (2023). Genetic diversity and breeding assessment of white lupin varieties. Journal of Mountain Agriculture on the Balkans, 26(2), 95 - 111. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375060766.
Kour, M., Khan, N., Singh, R., Sharma, B. C., Thakur, N. P., Azad, M. S., Kumar, P., Choudhary, P. & Mahajan, S. (2023). Developing cropping sequence modules for round the year green fodder production under irrigated conditions in North-west Himalayan region. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 93(2), 218 - 225. https://doi.org/10.56093/ijans.v93i2.126084.
Krishnakumaran, S., Chitdeshwari, T., Suganya, S., Parthiban, K. T. & Maheswari, M. (2025). Enhancing biomass production in multifunctional agroforestry: A review of strategies and benefits. Plant Science Today, 12(2), 1 - 15. https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.7570.
Kumari, P., Phogat, D. S., Satpal, Kharor, N. & Pahuja, S. K. (2023). Breeding Climate Smart Forage Sorghum – A Review. Forage Research, 49(1), 1 - 12.
Liu, E. Y., Wang, S., Wang, S., Khan, N. A., Zhou, X., Tang, S., Zhou, C., Tan, Z. & Liu, Y. (2024). Bacterial inoculants and enzymes based silage cocktails boost the ensiling quality of biomasses from reed, corn and rice straw. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, 11(29). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40538-024-00549-1.
Markov, T. (2023). Opportunity for increasing the production of ruminants, such as cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats in the foot-hill and mountain regions of Bulgaria. Scientific Papers Series Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and Rural Development, 23(2), 463 - 469.
Mathur, A. & Foody, G. M. (2008). Crop classification by a support vector machine with intelligently selected training data for an operational application. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 29(8), 2227 - 2240. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431160701395203.
McCarthy, K. M., Walsh, N., Serra, E., Fahey, A. G., Lynch, M. B., Pierce, K. M., Boland, T. M., Sheridan, H., Markiewicz-Keszycka, M. & Mulligan, F. J. (2024). Including clover and herb species in grazing forages – effects on milk production, milk processability and milk fatty acid profile of late lactation dairy cows supplemented with grass silage and concentrate. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 1 - 13. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859624000133.
Mohapatra, K. K., Mohapatra, S., Ekka, R., Behera, R. C. & Mohanta, R. K. (2019). Variations in round-the-year fodder production in a low-cost hydroponic shed. National Academy Science Letters, 42, 35 - 39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40009-018-0764-5.
Molinari, M. D. C., Fuganti-Pagliarini, R., Marin, S. R. R., Ferreira, L. C., Barbosa, D. A., Marcolino-Gomes, J., Oliveira, M. C. N., Neves, L. G. & Nepomuceno, A. L. (2020). Overexpression of AtNCED3 gene improved drought tolerance in soybean. Genetics and Molecular Biology, 43(3), e20190292.
Mwendia, S., Notenbaert, A., Nzogela, B. & Mwilawa, A. (2022). Benefit of feeding Urochloa hybrid cultivar ‘Cobra’ on milk production in Tanzania. Tropical Grasslands – Forrajes Tropicales, 10(3), 195 - 203. https://doi.org/10.17138/TGFT(10)195-203.
Nave, R. L. G. (2025). Sustainable forage production in crop–livestock systems. Agronomy, 15(3), 657. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15030657.
Naydenova, G., Vasileva, V. & Mitev, D. (2015). Productivity of Bulgarian grazing ecotypes of perennial legumes. Journal of Mountain Agriculture on the Balkans, 18(6), 972 - 982.
Naydenova, G., Bozhanski, B. & Bozhanska, T. (2022). Wild alfalfa in the semi-natural grasslands of Central Northern Bulgaria. Scientific Papers. Series A. Agronomy, 65(1), 447 - 452.
Nikolova, I. (2015). Relationship between the Sustainable Models of Production in Agriculture and the Challenges to Their Development in Bulgaria. Journal of Economics and Development Studies, 3(4), 57 - 68.
Nikolova, I. (2024). Harmful and Useful Thrips in Medicago sativa L. Agriculture (Poľnohospodárstvo), 70(1), 1 - 11. DOI: 10.2478/agri-2024-0001.
Nikolova, I. & Georgieva, N. (2018). Effect of biological products on the population of aphids and chemical components in alfalfa. Banat's Journal of Biotechnology, 9(19), 43 - 45. https://doi.org/10.7904/2068–4738–IX(19)–43.
Nikolova, I., Georgieva, N. & Vasileva, V. (2018). Chemical composition of perennial forage crops depending on the system of cultivation and correlative relationships with root pests damage. Journal of Mountain Agriculture on the Balkans, 21(4), 93 - 105. [ISSN: 1311-0489 (Print); 2367-8364 (Online).
Nikolova, M. (2020). Opportunities and challenges in the sale of agricultural products from small and family farms in Bulgaria. Trakia Journal of Sciences, 18(Suppl. 1), 549 - 559. DOI: 10.15547/tjs.2020.s.01.088.
Olasehinde, A. A. (2025). Evaluation of crop diversity in hydroponic systems for maximizing nutritional output. Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 44(3), 141 - 146. https://doi.org/10.9734/cjast/2025/v44i34505.
Penev, N. & Petrov, M. (2021). Economic Aspects and Challenges in Precision Agriculture. Trakia Journal of Sciences, 19(Suppl. 1), 162 - 167. doi:10.15547/tjs.2021.s.01.024.
Pereyra-Goday, F., Castillo, J., Rovira, P., Ayala, W., Lee, M. R. F. & Rivero, M. J. (2025). Nitrogen use efficiency in mixed crop-livestock systems: insights for sustainable intensification. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 9:1522557. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1522557.
Petrov, D. & Mitov, A. (2025). Assessing the Economic and Ecological Outcomes of Sustainable Farming Techniques in Bulgaria. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Management, 70(2), 28 - 43. https://doi.org/10.61308/TYVZ3832.
Petrova-Branicheva, V., Gigova, A. & Dimitrov, E. (2025). Sustainable agriculture through optimal use of natural resources water, energy, soil and fertilizers when growing Bulgarian garlic variety. Bulgarian Journal of Crop Science, 62(3), 70 - 77. https://doi.org/10.61308/JUMY6497.
Ramteke, R., Doneria, R. & Gendley, M. K. (2019). Hydroponic techniques for fodder production. Acta Scientific Nutritional Health, 3(5), 127 - 132.
Revalska, M., Radkova, M., Zhiponova, M., Vassileva, V. & Iantcheva, A. (2025). Functional genomics of legumes in Bulgaria—Advances and future perspectives. Genes, 16(3), 296. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes16030296.
Rono, L. J., Omayio, D., Muyekho, F., Munyasi, J. & Mudavadi, P. (2024). Disease tolerance levels and growth potential of selected Brachiaria cultivars in selected agro-ecological zones of Western Region, Kenya. African Journal of Empirical Research, 5(4), 451 - 468. https://ajernet.net.
Rufí-Salís, M., Petit-Boix, A., Villalba, G., Gabarrell, X. & Leipold, S. (2021). Combining LCA and circularity assessments in complex production systems: The case of urban agriculture. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 166, 105359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105359.
Samad, H. A., Eshwaran, V. K., Muquit, S. P., Sharma, L., Arumugam, H., Kant, L., Fatima, Z., Sharun, K., Parameshwarappa, M. A., Latheef, S. K., Chouhan, V. S., Maurya, V. P., Singh, G. & Kaniyamattam, K. (2025). Sustainable Livestock Solutions: Addressing Carbon Footprint Challenges from Indian and Global Perspectives. Sustainability, 17(5), 2105. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052105.
Singh, L., Pierce, C., Santantonio, N., Steiner, R., Miller, D., Reich, J. & Ray, I. (2022). Validation of DNA marker-assisted selection for forage biomass productivity under deficit irrigation in alfalfa. The Plant Genome, 15, e20195. https://doi.org/10.1002/tpg2.20195.
Singh, R. V., Singh, R. P. & Rao, S. V. N. (2020). Evaluation of silage quality in maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars under rainfed conditions in Bundelkhand region. Research in Environment and Life Sciences, 13(4), 85 - 88.
Smeti, S., Hajji, H., Joy, M. & Atti, N. (2024). Effects of rosemary essential oil on the milk production and fatty acid profiles of ewes fed oat hay or silage. Archives Animal Breeding, 67, 177 - 184. https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-67-177-2024.
Stanislas, T., Dupuy, S., Michez, A. & Jay, M. (2023). Remote sensing for monitoring forage production: A review of current and future applications. Remote Sensing, 17(1), 279. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17010279.
Stoeva, T. (2021). Challenges and trends in the development of vegetable production in Bulgaria. Scientific Papers Series Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and Rural Development, 21(2), 615 - 618.
Stoeva, T., Dirimanova, V. & Georgiev, M. (2025). Dynamics and challenges facing the development of small vegetable producers in Bulgaria through the prism of extension services. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 31(1), 45 - 49.
Stoyanov, H. (2025). Productivity and stability of a collection of common winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars under contrasting growing conditions. Bulgarian Journal of Crop Science, 62(1) 37 - 50.
Sushmitha, T., Ranganna, G., Gavhale, K. N., Singh, A., Mali, V. S., Diksha, Shingade, D. M. & Khatri, R. (2024). The Role of Biotechnology in the Future of Fruit Crop Production: A Review. Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology, 27(9), 967 - 987. https://doi.org/10.9734/jabb/2024/v27i91368.
Swathy, A. H. & Thomas, U. C. (2023). Mechanization in Fodder Crop Production – A Review. Forage Research, 46(1), 1 – 9. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374976386.
Taifouris, M. & Martin, M. (2021). Toward a circular economy approach for integrated intensive livestock and cropping systems. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 9(40), 13471 - 13479. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c04014.
Taneva, K., Bozhanova, V. & Petrova, I. (2019). Variability, heritability and genetic advance of some grain quality traits and grain yield in durum wheat genotypes. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 25(2), 288 - 295. https://www.agrojournal.org/25/02-10.pdf.
Tauro, T., Kaliyati, J. R., Kadzviti, F., Nyamasoka-Magonziwa, B., Matyanga, C., Macheka, L., Tumbure, A., Hove, T., Mtambanengwe, F. & Mapfumo, P. (2025). Linking pathogenic microbiota with farm-level application of organic resources to crop, livestock and human health: A One-Health perspective. CABI One Health, 4(1), 0016. https://doi.org/10.1079/cabionehealth.2025.0016.
Tulu, D., Gadissa, S., Hundessa, F. & Kebede, E. (2023). Contribution of climate-smart forage and fodder production for sustainable livestock production and environment: Lessons and challenges from Ethiopia. Advances in Agriculture, Article ID 8067776, 1 - 11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/8067776.
Vasileva, V. & Kostov, O. (2018). Performance of oats (Avena sativa) in response to preceding alfalfa (Medicago sativa) on mineral fertilization versus organic manuring on Chernozem soil. The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 88(3), 416 - 419. DOI: https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v88i3.78517.
Turrini, A. & Ridoutt, B. G. (2024). Editorial: Food systems evaluation methods and sustainability assessment. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8, 1372395. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1372395.
Zemene, D. M. & Sisay, T. A. (2024). Yield and growth performance of selected vetch species under rain‑fed conditions in Ethiopia. Journal of Rangeland Science, 14(3), 142 - 152. https://doi.org/10.57647/j.jrs.2024.1403.19.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Bulgarian Journal of Animal Husbandry
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
