PROMISING TROPICAL GRASSES AND LEGUMES AS FEED RESOURCES IN CENTRAL TANZANIA I - EFFECT OF DIFFERENT CUTTING PATTERNS ON PRODUCTION AND NUTRITIVE-VALUE OF 6 GRASSES AND 6 LEGUMES
Rn. Mero et P. Uden, PROMISING TROPICAL GRASSES AND LEGUMES AS FEED RESOURCES IN CENTRAL TANZANIA I - EFFECT OF DIFFERENT CUTTING PATTERNS ON PRODUCTION AND NUTRITIVE-VALUE OF 6 GRASSES AND 6 LEGUMES, Tropical grasslands, 31(6), 1997, pp. 549-555
Six grasses: Chloris gayana cv. Samford and cv. Mpwapwa (CG-Mpwapwa),
Cenchrus ciliaris cvv. Gayndah and Biloela, Bothriochloa insculpta cv.
Hatch and Panicum coloratum cv. Bambatsi; and 6 legumes: Stylosanthes
hamata cv. Verano, S. scabra cv. Seca, Neonotonia wightii cvv. Tinaro
o and Mpwapwa (NW-Mpwapwa), Macrotyloma axillare cv. Archer and Macrop
tilium atropurpureum cv. Siratro were investigated in a 2-year study.
Cutting regimes for the grasses during the growing season were 4-12-4,
6-8-6, 8-4-8 and 10-10 weeks in 1987/88 and 10-10 weeks in 1988/89; a
nd for the legumes were 4-4-4-4, 6-6-6 and 10-10 weeks in 1987/88 and
4-4-4-4, 6-6-6, 8-8-8 and 10-10 weeks in 1988/89. There was a signific
ant difference (P<0.05) in DM production between the grass species in
both seasons with Bambatsi > Gayndah, Hatch and Samford in 1987/88; an
d Bambatsi, Gayndah and Biloela > Hatch and Samford in 1988/89. In 198
7/88, the legumes had similar production except for Archer which produ
ced least and in 1988/89, Seca, Verano and Tinaroo were best (P<0.05).
Cutting regimes 6-8-6 for the grasses and 10-10 for the legumes (1988
/89) gave the highest mean DM yields (P<0.05). In the grasses, crude p
rotein levels declined on average 4% units and in vitro digestibility
13% units between 4 and 10 weeks of age. In the legumes, the correspon
ding decreases were only 2 and 4% units, respectively.