Amratan Gautam¹*, Dharmendra Singh², Pramod Prabhakar³ and Anand Kumar Singh⁴

¹Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Jananayak Chandrashekhar University, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, India
²Professor, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Murli Manohar Town P. G. College, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, India
³Assistant Professor, Animal Husbandry, MBAC, Agwanpur, Saharsa, Bihar, India
⁴Assistant Professor, LFC (Veterinary Medicine) CoVSC, Datia Campus RLBCAU, Jhansi, India

*Corresponding Author: Amratan Gautam, Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Jananayak Chandrashekhar University, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Received: March 11, 2026; Published: June 12, 2026

Abstract

The increasing global demand for animal products fueled by population increase and evolving consumption patterns, requires the investigation of sustainable, cost-effective, and nutritionally adequate feed options. The foliage of the potato plant consisting of the leaves and stems of Solanum tuberosum is a plentiful but underappreciated agricultural by-product with significant potential as livestock feed. Potato leaves, comprising 15 - 20% crude protein, abundant fiber, vital vitamins, and minerals, serves as a feasible supplement or partial substitute for traditional forages, potentially decreasing feed expenses by 30 - 40%. Empirical evidence from India and China indicates its efficacy in enhancing milk production, weight gain, and feed efficiency in cattle and goats when incorporated at safe levels. Environmental advantages encompass diminished agricultural waste, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and a lesser reliance on synthetic fertilizers. The presence of glycoalkaloids (solanine and chaconine) requires suitable processing methods such as drying, ensiling, or heat treatment and regulated inclusion rates (≤ 20% for ruminants; ≤ 10% for monogastrics) to assure safety. Seasonal availability can be managed by preservation techniques like as silage. Effective management of potato foliage can improve livestock production, promote circular agriculture, and bolster the economic and environmental sustainability of global animal husbandry systems.

Keywords: Potato Foliage; Livestock Nutrition; Glycoalkaloids; Sustainable Agriculture; Agricultural Waste Utilization; Silage Preservation

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Citation

Citation: Amratan Gautam., et al. “Potato Leaves and Stems as Animal Fodder: A Sustainable Solution for Livestock Nutrition". Acta ScientificVeterinary Sciences 8.1(2026): 19-25.

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Copyright: © 2026 Amratan Gautam., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.