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The study was conducted to determine the effect of different grass species (Brachiaria mutica, Desho, and Napier) and harvesting stages on agronomic performance, forage dry matter yield, and chemical composition. The grass species used were Desho (Pennisetum pedicellatum), Brachiaria (Brachiaria mutica), and Napier (Pennisetum purpureum), and the harvesting stages considered were 60, 90, and 120 days after establishment of grasses, respectively. The data collected included the following: percent plant survival (PS), plant height (PH), number of tillers per plant (NTPP), number of leaves per plant (NLPP), leaf length per plant (LLPP), leaf width per plant (LWPP), number of nodes per plant (NNPP), leaf-to-stem ratio (LSR), dry matter yield (DMY), and chemical composition of the grass species. Samples of grass species were harvested at different ages after establishment, weighed, and dried, and then, ground subsamples were taken for determination of dry matter (DM), ash, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude protein yield (CPY), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL). Results showed that morphological characteristics, forage dry matter yield, and chemical composition of the forage grasses were significantly affected by interactions of species (P < 0.001) and harvesting dates. The highest mean PH (115.2 cm), DMY (11.8 t/ha), and %CP (11.6) were recorded from Brachiaria mutica grass which was followed by Napier grass with mean PH of 87.25 cm and mean DMY of 9.8 t/ha. The %CP content of Desho and Napier grasses declined by 24%, while %CP content of Brachiaria grass declined by 26% with increased harvesting stages. Therefore, among tested grass species, Brachiaria mutica grass was recommended followed by Napier and Desho grass for on-farm evaluation and demonstration in the study area at all harvesting ages. Farmers engaged in forage grass production could seriously consider the harvesting stage as the grasses responded differently to the chemical composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was conducted to determine the effects of fertilizer types on plant characteristics, forage yield, seed yield and chemical composition of Rhodes grass at Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. The experiment was laid in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The treatments were: no fertilizer (T1), Bio-slurry compost (T2), NPS fertilizer (T3) and mixture of bio-slurry and NPS (T4) with four replications. Data collected were morphological characteristics such as plant height (PH), number of tillers per plant (NTPP), leaf length per plant (LLPP), leaf to stem ratio (LSR), number of leaves per plant (NLPP), forage dry matter yield and forage qualities harvested at 90 days (50% of blooming stage) except seed yield at three weeks after full flowering stage. Samples of forages were weighed, dried and then ground subsamples taken for analyses of crude protein (CP), ash, dry matter (DM), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL). All data were subjected to two way ANOVA procedures of SAS version 9.0. The results showed that the effects of organic and inorganic fertilizer had a significant (p<0.01) effect on all of morphological characteristics were better result with mixing of NPS and bioslurry fertilizer application than other treatments, but a lone of bioslurry and NPS fertilizers also almost similar result but less than in some extent from combined fertilizer treatment. Combining chemical fertilizers with bioslurry gave the highest DM yield (12.63 t/ha) of forage than sole bioslurry (11.8 t/ha) and sole chemical fertilizer (12.03 t/ha). Combined chemical fertilizers with bioslurry gave the highest CP contents (11.25%) of forage than other treatments. In contrast control plot obtained lowest result in all morphological parameters. DMY, seed yield and lowest nutritive value with higher fiber contents. Therefore, the application of combination of bio-slurry and inorganic fertilizer shown the best result in terms of morphological, nutritive value, forage dry matter and seed yield followed by either of fertilizers. Hence, based on the current result, it can be concluded that use of combination of organic and inorganic fertilizer is the best fertilizer as far as Rhodes grass production is concerned in the current study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Still food security has not been attained fully in many tropical African countries including Ethiopia. However, the issue of food security achievement has been able to realize due to various setbacks among which low productivity of crops and livestock take the lion share. Among the various constraints the parasitic weed Striga, and Stemborer pests are responsible for lower crop yields in the region. Regarding livestock feed, shortage in terms of quantity and quality are the major impediment to the livestock sector. To achieve food security, increasing crop yield and livestock production is vital in Ethiopia and other tropical countries. Crop yields can be enhanced through the control of weeds using biological systems to increase food crop yield apart from chemical inputs. In case of livestock, full production and reproduction potential of animals can be met through fulfilling nutritional requirements of livestock. The major livestock feed resources in Ethiopia are natural pasture and crop residues. Both feed resources; however, are poor in nutritional value and they are listed as low maintenance feed category. Therefore, it is vital to intensify integrated croplivestock production systems for sustainable economy and environment. Introducing forage grasses in the crop production system has been practiced in the tropics as push pull technology. In Ethiopia, Brachiaria grass is an emerging forage for integrated agricultural production that has been getting considerable recognition as an option to overcome the pests in crop production in the tropics due to its high adaptive and yielding as well as climate smart forages. In the country, Brachiaria is recently introduced by different organization in different agro-ecology of the country mainly as push-pull integrated agricultural system and considering its fodder potential for the livestock feed. Therefore, this review paper aimed to looking for the available research knowledge in Ethiopia and somewhere else in the glob for better utilization of Brachiaria grass in the integrated agricultural system. All available information regarding the research and utilization of Brachiaria grass were reviewed in the published papers. The review reveal that Brachiaria has many advantages over other grass species in terms of adaptation to drought and low fertility soils, ability to sequester carbon; increase nitrogen use efficiency through biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) and arrest greenhouse gas emissions. The knowledge has been established in quantifying the multiple contributions of Brachiaria grass inclusion as push pull technology in different parts of the world (South America, Kenya, Rwanda). Limited report showed that cut-and-carry system is the utilization practice of brachiaria grass grown the push pull integration. The potential of improved Brachiaria grass in Ethiopia to address the challenge of livestock feed scarcity and other environmental managements; however, remain unexploited/limited which calls researchers to work on. The review concluded that B. cultivars could have a significant contribution on both animal and cereal production in the tropics but limited research and utilization in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the experiment was to evaluate effects of fertilizer level on lablab accessions (Lablab purpureus, (L.) Sweet) agronomic performance, forage yield and chemical composition under irrigation condition. The field study conducted in factorial arrangement of randomized complete block design (RCBD) using two factors (three lablab accessions and four fertilizer levels) with three replications. The three lablab accessions were accession 147, 11640 and Tulu combined with four fertilizer levels of NPS (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg/ha). All levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur (NPS) were applied at time of planting for all lablab accessions. The agronomic characteristics and forage yield data were collected at 50% flowering stage, weighed (for yield estimation), dried and then ground subsamples taken for analysis of crude protein, ash, dry matter, fiber contents, in vitro dry matter digestibility and total digestible nutrients. The collected data were subjected to general linear model for statistical analysis system (SAS) version 9.0. The result indicated that there was significant interaction (P < 0.05) effect in the fertilizer level and accession only in the length and number of leaves per plant, but not for all chemical compositions of lablab. The three accessions showed significant difference (P < 0.001) in the majority of agronomic characteristics. Also fertilizer level showed significant effect (P < 0.001) on the majority of agronomic characteristics. The lablab accessions grown in higher level of NPS fertilizer (150 and 100 kg/ha) had better agronomic performance and dry matter yield than those grown in lower fertilizer levels. Overall, significantly (P < 0.001) maximum dry matter yield (19.6 t/ha) was recorded from Tulu varieties while the lowest dry matter yield (11.21 t/ha) was from lablab accession 147. Regarding fertilizer levels, maximum dry matter yield was recorded from 150 kg fertilizer NPS application (17.03 t/ha) while the lowest (13.5 t/ha) was recorded from control treatment group. The highest CP content (21.6%) was recorded from 11640 lablab accession while the lowest (20.5%) was from Tulu lablab accession. With regard to fertilizer levels, the highest CP content was recorded from 150 kg/ha fertilizer (22.9%) while the lowest (19.4%) CP was recorded from control. Therefore, among tested lablab (Tulu and 11640) accessions with the 100 kg/ha fertilizer rate given priority in terms of their yield and chemical composition and are recommended for wider utilization under smallholder farmers condition in the farming system with similar agro-ecologies using irrigation season. Further research on the economic analysis of cultivars under different systems of production is required to increase viability of this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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