Evaluation the performance of hydroponic technology for green fodder production

Regarding the limitation of water and fertile soil in Iran, consider to find out appropriate strategy of forage development is indispensable. Intensive hydroponic system as a fast growing method has been considered in which, seeds are planted in a container shape room or chamber and green fodder harvested after one week. Similar method in small scale of seed growing has been used in Iranian families since long times as National Nowrouz Green. Since last decades, this technology has beed developed for green fodder production in some countries, where special rooms or chambers are manufactured in which growing conditions are provided. The most grain which is used in this system for green fodder production, is barley where. The seeds are soaked in water over night and then planted in chamber, where the germination and running roots will be started, and then the green areal part will reach about 20 ern during one week. A conseederable portion of preserved seeds starch will be used for the process where it is converted to root and green parts. Therefore the final product will be a mixture of green forage, white roots, seed hulls and non germinated seeds that conteined about 80-90 percent water but the maximum amount of dry matter obtained per kg of seed will not be exceeded from the initial dry matter spent, as seed grain. There are contradictory reports, regarding the nutritive value of hydroponic green fodder and its performance in animal nutrition. Some information indicated a 10-15 percent of improvement in animal performance by using this fodder but the others pointed out that no advantages found in animal performance when the green fodder used in the diets wherever the cost was increased in green fodder comparing to the initial grain. Recently there are some challenges about development of hydroponic green fodder system in Iran, therefore the present paper will disscusse about this field