Effects of Cutting Interval on Morphological Parameters, Biomass Yield and Chemical Composition of Para (Brachairia muticastapf), Napier (Pennisetum purpureum) and Desho (Pennisetum pedicellatum) Grasses Grown under Irrigation Condition
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Date
2021
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Livestock feed resources in Ethiopia are mainly obtained from natural pasture and crop residues. This study was aimed to study the effects of cutting interval on plant height, number of tillers per plant, number of leaves per plant and leaf to stem ratio of the grasses, and to study the effects of cutting interval on dry matter yield and chemical composition of the grasses under irrigation condition at Mecha, Ethiopia; with three kinds of grasses namely Para (Brachiaria mutica Stapf.), Napier (Pennisetum purpureum), and Desho (Pennisetum pedicellatum) at three harvesting dates (60, 90,120). The experimental design was RCBD (Random Complete Block Design) with three replications giving a total of nine plots. The area of each unit plot was three m x four m and plant to plant distance and row to row distance was 0.5m. Data on morphological parameters of the grasses were recorded at each harvesting dates. The grasses were first harvested after 60 days of regrowth; second and third harvests were done after consecutive 30 days of re-growth. All harvested data were laid open to GLM ANOVA procedures of SAS version 9.0. Based on the data collected, harvesting age was significantly affected the morphological parameters of the grasses; Plant height (PH), the number of tillers per plant (NTPP), and the number of leaves per plant (NLPP) were increased with increasing harvesting age, whereas cutting interval showed a non-significant effect on a leaf to stem ratio (LSR) of the grasses. Although cutting interval had a significant effect on dry matter yield (DMY), ash content, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and acid detergent lignin content of the grasses. It was concluded that Napier grass produces a higher forage yield among the three grasses and longer harvesting intervals result in increased forage yield and decrease nutrient composition in all the studied grasses. Further research is needed to be conducted over much longer periods to determine to what extent these findings relate to performance over the life of a permanent pasture.
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Chemical composition, cutting interval, dry matter yield, morphological parameters