Common and Scientific Names of Important Fodder Crops

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Common and Scientific Names of Important Fodder Crops

Fodder crops are plants cultivated mainly for feeding livestock such as cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats. These crops include grasses, legumes, and tree fodders that provide essential nutrients for animal growth, milk production, and health. This article provides the common names, local names, and scientific names of important fodder crops used in livestock production and pasture management.

NOTE

In the following list, the name begins with the common name, followed by the local name in brackets, and ends with the scientific name after a colon. For example, in Sorghum (Cholam/Jawar): Sorghum bicolor, “Sorghum” is the common name, “Cholam/Jawar” is the local name, and Sorghum bicolor is the scientific name.

Non-Legume Fodder Crops

  1. Sorghum (Cholam): Sorghum bicolor
  2. Sudan grass: Sorghum sudanense
  3. Maize (Makkacholam): Zea mays L.
  4. Cumbu / Bajra / Pearl millet (Cumbu): Pennisetum glaucum
  5. Teosinte: Euchlaena mexicana
  6. Finger millet / Ragi (Kelvaragu): Eleusine coracana
  7. Little millet or samai (Samai): Panicum miliare
  8. Proso millet: Panicum miliaceum
  9. Oats: Avena sativa
  10. Barley: Hordeum vulgare
  11. Rye: Secale cereale
  12. Hybrid Napier: Pennisetum purpureum × Pennisetum americanum
  13. Guinea grass (Guinea pull): Panicum maximum
  14. Para grass (Neerpull): Brachiaria mutica
  15. Doop / Bermuda grass (Arugampullu): Cynodon dactylon
  16. Anjan grass / Buffel grass (Kollukkattai pullu): Cenchrus ciliaris
  17. Black anjan grass (Karuppu Kolukkatti pullu): Cenchrus setigerus
  18. Rhodes grass (Mayil Kondaipullu): Chloris gayana
  19. Signal grass: Brachiaria decumbens
  20. Elephant / Napier grass (Yanaipullu): Pennisetum purpureum
  21. Marvel grass: Dichanthium annulatum
  22. Canary grass: Phalaris tuberosa L.
  23. Blue Panic grass: Panicum antidotale
  24. Molasses grass: Melinis minutifolia
  25. Kikuyu grass: Pennisetum clandestinum
  26. Deenanath grass: Pennisetum pedicellatum
  27. Johnson grass: Sorghum halepense
  28. Seteria: Setaria anceps
  29. Sabi grass / Little para grass: Urochloa mosambicensis

Legume Fodder Crops

  1. Cowpea (Karamani): Vigna umbellata
  2. Rice bean: Vigna umbellate
  3. Moth bean (Naripayaru): Phaseolus aconitifolius
  4. Gaur / Cluster / French bean (Kothavarai): Cyamopsis tetragonoloba
  5. Field bean / Lab lab (Mochai): Lablab purpureus
  6. Sun hemp (Sannappai): Crotolaria juncea
  7. Pillipesara: Dolichos trilobus
  8. Berseem / Egyptian clover: Trifolium alexandrinum
  9. Fenugreek (Winter) (Vendiyam): Trigonella foenumgraecum
  10. Senji (Winter): Melilotus parviflora
  11. Lucerne / Alfalfa (Kudiraimasal): Medicago sativa
  12. Hedge lucerne (Velimasal): Desmanthus virgatus
  13. Stylo: Stylosanthes hamata / Stylosanthes scabra
  14. Schofield stylo: Stylosanthes guianensis
  15. Siratro: Macroptilium atropurpureum
  16. Clitoria / Butterfly pea (Sangupushpam): Clitoria ternatea
  17. Perennial ground nut: Arachis glabrata
  18. Centro: Centrosema sp.
  19. Desmodium: Desmodium uncinatum

Tree Fodder Crops

  1. Soobabul (Soundal): Leucaena leucocephala
  2. Catechu (Karungali): Acacia catechu
  3. Gum Arabic or Babool (Karuvelam): Acacia nilotica
  4. Israeli babool: Acacia tortilis
  5. Umbrella tree (Kudaivel): Acacia planifrons
  6. Siris (Vagai): Albizia lebbeck
  7. Sisoo (Yette): Dalbergia sissoo
  8. Karun dumbi: Diospyros melanoxylon
  9. Sesbania (Agathi): Sesbania grandiflora
  10. Banyan tree (Alamram): Ficus bengalensis
  11. Malai icchi: Ficus lacor
  12. Peepal tree (Arasamaram): Ficus religiosa
  13. Anjan (Achamaram): Hardwickia binata
  14. Uthimaram: Lannea coromandelica
  15. Mohwa (Illupai): Madhuca longifolia
  16. Neem (Vembu): Azadirachta indica

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