Paswan, Vinod KumarYadav, SatyaPrakash2019-05-072019-05-072018Mineralshttp://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810102248The study was planned with the two-faceted broad aims of analyzing the feedstuffs, tree tops and weeds of the Varanasi district of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Analyzed of Seventy-nine samples of 8 different grasses, 86 samples of 8 different fodder crops, 70 samples of 8 different crop residue based dry roughages, 70 samples of 13 different concentrate feeds from dairy farms were analyzed for proximate composition and fibre fractions.170 samples of 20 different tree tops were analyzed for proximate composition, fibre fractions, polyphenolic components and mineral composition.146 samples of 21 different weeds were collected from the fields of the study area and were analyzed for proximate composition, fibre fraction and mineral profiling. 14 cow milk samples and 12 buffalo milk samples were analysed for chemical composition, mineral profile and heavy metals in cattle manure slurry. The prevalence of heavy metals viz., As, Hg, Cd, Pb, Zn and Fe was found in ground water samples and in municipal supply water samples.Analysis of proximate composition and fibre fractions revealed that fodder crops, tree tops, concentrates of the study area have nutritive value within the normal range. Even the weeds have comparable nutritive potential in terms of proximate principles and fibre fractions. However, utilization of weeds as feed resource is recommended only after investigating its anti-nutritional potential. All the major and trace minerals are invariably present in concentrates, fodder crops, tree tops and even in weeds. Some of the samples contain particular minerals in such a large quantity, that it may be considered good source of that mineral. Strategic supplementation of different feed resources can meet all the mineral requirement of livestock with minimum extra supplementation of mineral mixtures.Total phenol and tannin content of tree leaves revealed that some of the tree was truly tanniferous with large quantities of condensed tannins. However, limited inclusion of these tree leaves in livestock feed poses little risk. In fact, it has been proved that tannin content up to 4% in leaves and 1-2% in total feeds have beneficial role of protein protection from ruminal degradation and thus more utilization of protein will happen. It was concluded that weeds are equivalent source of major nutrients including various macro and micro minerals and other beneficial components and can be used for livestock feeding. The weeds can be fed to animals in partial replacements with other feed sources because some of them contain antinutritional factors which may cause harmful effects on the livestock health. Even the partial inclusion of weeds in livestock feeding will reduce the feeding cost by providing animals with equivalent nutrition. In addition it will aid in environmental protection by acting as the natural or biological weed control agent by minimizing the use of harmful weedicides and herbicides.Significant fraction of manure, milk and water samples contained heavy metals like, As, Pb, Cd and even Hg. Arsenic content was invariably more in water and particularly in ground water of the study area, which may be due to Gangetic zone of the study area. Heavy metal content in milk and water pose risk to human population also through its transfer via feed-food chain.ennullThesis