By Rosemary Tukundane
Hydroponic fodder is pasture grown from tins using a very small and limited space without soil, the best seed for growing this type of fodder is yellow maize however, and other cereals like wheat, sorghum, and barley can be used.
This matures only after 25 days under controlled weather conditions and with the mix of maize brand to add more nutrients. This is the best and fast feed for your sheep, goats, piggery, poultry and dairy animals.
Unlike other types of pasture like Rhodes that takes years to mature and has great risks of maturing under harsh climate conditions, fodder matures within a short period of time, contains high food nutrients that helps livestock to gain weight very fast and uses limited space to grow more feed.
Washington Mugerwa and Dr Emma Naluyima , the Managing Directors of Math Science and Technology school said that they introduced this wonderful system because of high demand for meat but limited pasture for livestock.
“There is limited land and this is a serious challenge for high demand for meat and milk on market. This demand calls for new innovations to improve intensive livestock feeding and production of high nutrients,” Mugerwa added
He added that this system saves time that one spends on growing pasture in the field to produce good and enough pasture for example Napia for cattle, maize that has to be turned into maize brand for pigs or chicken.
Mugerwa explained that bad weather conditions that don’t favour the growing of pastures from fields are managed while using this system because the fodder is grown under controlled weather.
Naturally, pasture needs 3-4 months and space with good weather is a must to produce the best for livestock while hydroponic fodder matures in 25 days and needs good seeds and controlled weather to produce enough pasture.
