AGRONOMIC FORTIFICATION OFSUMMER FODDER MAIZE WITH ZINC AND IRON

The process of adding vitamins or minerals to the crops in order to improve their overall nutrient content is called as fortification which is being sustained over a long period, making it cost effective way to overcome micronutrient malnutrition. Enhancement of a particular nutrient by addition of fertilizers to soil or to foliage in appropriate form, time and growth stages of the crop is known as agronomic fortification which is a simple and rapid solution to the problem. zinc and iron not only increase the fodder yield but also increase nutrient quality of fodder maize for obtaining good economic returns and also nutritional security. So, enrichment of fodder with zinc and iron through fortification is one of the option to improve the quality.Fodder maize can be grown to produce good quality fodder in summer season to solve problems of livestock feed shortage during this period.