EFFECT OF IRRIGATION FREQUENCY AND CUTTING AGE ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF F1 PENNISETUM PURPUREUM

Abstract

Cultivation of improved pasture variety is a means to sustainable livestock production. During dry season most forages declined in agronomic and nutritional performance. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of irrigation time and cutting age on the agronomic and nutritional composition of F1 Pennisetum purpureum. The experiment was laid in a 2 x 2 x 3 factorial arrangement using Randomized completely Block Design. An already established fenced pasture plot measuring 37 × 15 m2 with 12 beds of 4 × 4 m each and with 1 m spacing between beds were cutback
to 15 cm above the ground level. The treatments includes two levels of irrigation interval (48 hrs and 76 hrs; cutting age 3, 6 and 9 weeks. Data collected includes the plant height, number per tiller, tiller length, leave width, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, Dry matter and Ash contents. All data collected were analyzed using SAS 2000 package and significance level was determined using the same package. Plants irrigated at 48 hrs recorded the highest Leaf Width (5.08 cm) while other agronomic parameters were not significantly affected. However, an increase in weeks of age at cutting increase the agronomic performance. Nutritional compositions were affected by irrigation interval and plant harvested between weeks 3-6 recorded higher nutritional composition.