Evaluation of tropical forage species under limited water supply.

Abstract

A field plot study was conducted over three years, which compared six exotic grass species planted in July 1994, in terms of fry matter (DM) yield, crude protein and in vitro digestibility. The genotypes evaluated were Paspalum dilatatum, Paspalum urvillei, Pennisetum clandestinum, Pennisetum purpureum, Setaria sphacelata var. sericea x S. sphacelata var. splendida (Splenda) and Setaria splendida. Three of them, namely P. dilatatum, P. clandestinum, and Splenda established well ans rapidly after planting. Only by the third year was a good stand obtained with Setaria plendida and this genotype supplied only one harvest, in November 1996. Over all three years, total yield tended to be highest with Splenda, which produced 3126, 8438 and 14022 kh ha-1 of total DM yield for 1994, 1995 and 1996 respectively. Of the species which produced harvestable yield in every year, P. clandestinum had DM yields, but seemed to have the most consistent yields for the harvests in a year. This species showed good characteristics for permanent pastures due to its prostate growth habit and ease of spread over the soil. Forage nutritive value, as measured by crude protein concentration and in vitro dry matter digestibility, was greatest in the species which was one of the most difficult to establish: P. purpureum.