Herbage Yield and Nutritive Value of Selected Grasses in Subhumid Agroecological Environments in Ethiopia
The introduction of improved forage varieties could play a crucial role in meeting the growing demand for livestock and livestock products in Ethiopia. However, different cultivars exhibit varied performance. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the performance of Brachiaria cultivars and other gra...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Agronomy |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/6170361 |
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| author | Fantahun Dereje Ashenafi Mengistu Diriba Geleti Diriba Diba Fekede Feyissa |
| author_facet | Fantahun Dereje Ashenafi Mengistu Diriba Geleti Diriba Diba Fekede Feyissa |
| author_sort | Fantahun Dereje |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The introduction of improved forage varieties could play a crucial role in meeting the growing demand for livestock and livestock products in Ethiopia. However, different cultivars exhibit varied performance. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the performance of Brachiaria cultivars and other grass cultivars in two subhumid agroecological areas of Ethiopia. Four Brachiaria cultivars (B. brizantha (DZF-13379), B. humidicola (DZF-9222), B. decumbens (DZF-10871), and B. mutica (var. DZF-483), and two local grass cultivars, Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana var. Massaba) and Desho grass (Pennisetum glaucifolium var. Kindu Kosha), were evaluated in Bako and Bishoftu for three years during the rainy season. The experiment was carried out using a completely randomized block design. Results indicated that both cultivars and years had significant (P<0.001) effects on herbage dry matter (DM) yield, crude protein (CP) yield, and plant height, whereas location only affected DM yield. Significant cultivar × year interactions were observed for DM yield, CP yield, and plant height, while cultivar × location interactions had a significant effect on all parameters except for CP yield. Additionally, cultivars significantly (P<0.001) impacted the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) as well as the nutritional content (CP, ash, acid detergent lignin (ADL), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF). Overall, all cultivars demonstrated potential as alternative ruminant feeds, with B. mutica, followed by B. brizantha, showing superior performance in the subhumid agroecological areas of Ethiopia. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e7632bd2b22b4503928fb8ab4804f55a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-8167 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj-art-e7632bd2b22b4503928fb8ab4804f55a2025-08-20T03:26:10ZengWileyInternational Journal of Agronomy1687-81672024-01-01202410.1155/2024/6170361Herbage Yield and Nutritive Value of Selected Grasses in Subhumid Agroecological Environments in EthiopiaFantahun Dereje0Ashenafi Mengistu1Diriba Geleti2Diriba Diba3Fekede Feyissa4Department of Animal ScienceDepartment of Animal Production StudiesEthiopian Institute of Agricultural ResearchDepartment of Animal ScienceEthiopian Institute of Agricultural ResearchThe introduction of improved forage varieties could play a crucial role in meeting the growing demand for livestock and livestock products in Ethiopia. However, different cultivars exhibit varied performance. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the performance of Brachiaria cultivars and other grass cultivars in two subhumid agroecological areas of Ethiopia. Four Brachiaria cultivars (B. brizantha (DZF-13379), B. humidicola (DZF-9222), B. decumbens (DZF-10871), and B. mutica (var. DZF-483), and two local grass cultivars, Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana var. Massaba) and Desho grass (Pennisetum glaucifolium var. Kindu Kosha), were evaluated in Bako and Bishoftu for three years during the rainy season. The experiment was carried out using a completely randomized block design. Results indicated that both cultivars and years had significant (P<0.001) effects on herbage dry matter (DM) yield, crude protein (CP) yield, and plant height, whereas location only affected DM yield. Significant cultivar × year interactions were observed for DM yield, CP yield, and plant height, while cultivar × location interactions had a significant effect on all parameters except for CP yield. Additionally, cultivars significantly (P<0.001) impacted the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) as well as the nutritional content (CP, ash, acid detergent lignin (ADL), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF). Overall, all cultivars demonstrated potential as alternative ruminant feeds, with B. mutica, followed by B. brizantha, showing superior performance in the subhumid agroecological areas of Ethiopia.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/6170361 |
| spellingShingle | Fantahun Dereje Ashenafi Mengistu Diriba Geleti Diriba Diba Fekede Feyissa Herbage Yield and Nutritive Value of Selected Grasses in Subhumid Agroecological Environments in Ethiopia International Journal of Agronomy |
| title | Herbage Yield and Nutritive Value of Selected Grasses in Subhumid Agroecological Environments in Ethiopia |
| title_full | Herbage Yield and Nutritive Value of Selected Grasses in Subhumid Agroecological Environments in Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Herbage Yield and Nutritive Value of Selected Grasses in Subhumid Agroecological Environments in Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Herbage Yield and Nutritive Value of Selected Grasses in Subhumid Agroecological Environments in Ethiopia |
| title_short | Herbage Yield and Nutritive Value of Selected Grasses in Subhumid Agroecological Environments in Ethiopia |
| title_sort | herbage yield and nutritive value of selected grasses in subhumid agroecological environments in ethiopia |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/6170361 |
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