PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF IRRIGATED Brachiaria ruziziensis AS AFFECTED BY HERVESTING AGE

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the proximate composition of irrigated Brachiaria ruziziensis at different stages of harvest. Three treatments of B. ruziziensis planted in 4m2 plots were harvested at 8, 10 and 12 weeks after seed emergence at the teaching and research farm of Federal Polytechnic Bali. Samples from three plots per treatment were cut, rinsed and shade-dried and subjected to proximate analysis. There were significant difference (P<0.05) in all parameters depending on age. The crude protein (CP) is significantly higher at 8 weeks (8.83±0.18); organic matter (OM), Ether extract (EE) and ash contents of 35.74±4.8, 2.20±0.52 and 35.99±.5.5 respectively were higher in samples cut at 10 weeks post emergence. While the crude fibre but also moisture content (MC) of 70.45±0.37, 12.1 0.00 respectively were significantly higher at 12 weeks. The study showed variation in the proximate composition of irrigated Brachiaria ruziziensis at different stage of maturity with the CP content depreciating and the CF increasing as the plant mature. Further studies are need to determine appropriate irrigation schedule for optimum yields of B. ruziziensis