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Dairy farming is an integral part of the farming system. The income generated through livestock rearing has been the basis for a majority of the landless and the small farmers. The present study aims to make a comparative economic analysis of crossbred cows and local cows in rural Punjab. The study is based on primary data, collected through a detailed schedule from 420 dairy farmers belonging to different farm size categories from 21 villages situated in three different agro-climatic zones (Shivalik-Foothills, Central Plains and South-West Dry zones) of Punjab state. The average milch herd size is 2.26 for crossbred cows and 1.48 for local cows. The crossbred cows show higher significant total fixed costs of milk production as compared to the local cows due to the high initial investment and maintenance expenditure of the crossbred cows. The net returns from milk production calculated based on ₹ per day per cow significantly differ between crossbred cows and local cows. The net returns per litre from the milk production of local cows are worked out as negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survey of pea crop in different districts of Punjab revealed severe rodent damage to pea crop. Therefore, there is a need to develop integrated rodent pest management (IRPM) module in this crop. Three to six blocks (each of 0.4 ha) of pea crop were selected in Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib and Sangrur districts for determining critical timing of rodent damage and to develop integrated rodent management technology for effective rodent management in pea crop. Rodent population was assessed before and after the treatments as well as during different stages of crop by burrow count method. Results revealed that rodents start making their burrows on bunds at early stage of crop and start migrating inside fields at pod formation stage. At this stage, single symptomatic burrow baiting with 0.005% bromadiolone or with 2% zinc phosphide bait along with timely weed management and physical elimination of rodents during irrigation prevented rodent damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breeding, feeding, housing and healthcare management practices play an important role in attaining the full potential of dairying. The present study aims to investigate about the management practices, such as breeding management, healthcare management, feeding management and housing management, followed by the dairy farmers in rural Punjab. Using multi-stage sampling technique, the present study is based on primary data, collected through a detailed schedule from 420 dairy farmers belonging to different farm size categories from 21 villages situated in three different agro-climatic zones (Shivalik-Foothills, Central Plains and South-West Dry zones) of Punjab state. The results show that a majority of the dairy farmers prefer to breed their dairy animals using Artificial Insemination (using semen of Indian bulls) for breeding by a doctor, vaccinate animals against Foot & Mouth Disease, do deworming of calves against internal parasites but not that of adult animals, ignore disinfecting dairy shed, provide bedding material to new born calves and keep their pregnant dairy animals in the same shed along with other dairy animals. Most of them have the facility of shed with slanted roof of asbestos material for housing their dairy animals in single row system. They feed a mixture of their self-cultivated green fodder, dry fodder and concentrates to dairy animals, preferring stall feeding over grazing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]