Adaptability Study of Brachiaria Grass Accessions for Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Lowlands of East Oromia, Ethiopia

Tolera Fikadu; Worku Bekuma; Wubishet Tesfaye; Melese Furgasa

doi:doi:10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13

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Adaptability Study of Brachiaria Grass Accessions for Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Lowlands of East Oromia, Ethiopia

Tolera Fikadu, Worku Bekuma, Wubishet Tesfaye, Melese Furgasa

Published in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Volume 6, Issue 2)

Received: 23 March 2021 Accepted: 21 May 2021 Published: 25 June 2021

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Abstract

Livestock production in the lowlands of Eastern Oromia of Ethiopia depends mainly on natural pastures and crop residues which are of poor quality and the yield is generally low during the dry season. Therefore, there is a need to introduce alternative forages of high quality that are adapted to the region. The objective of this study was to identify and select the best Brachiaria grass accession/s for dry matter (DM) yield and nutritive quality in lowlands of Eastern Oromia. The experiment was conducted in the lowlands of Fedis and Dire-Dawa districts during 2018 to 2020. The experimental materials were brachiaria decumbens accessions 1087, 13205, 14721, 14720 and brachiaria ruziziensis accessions 13332, 14743, 14771, 14774, 14813. These grass accessions were compared with one local check, a locally cultivated brachiaria grass. Plant established successfully at both sites for the last three years. Tiller numbers, plant height, forage dry matter yield and plot covers were recorded at 16 weeks after planting. Significant (p<0.05) difference were detected among the tested grass accessions in plot cover, height, tiller number, dry matter yield, OM%, Ash%, CP%, NDF%, ADF% and ADL% contents. The results showed that brachiaria grasses had the potential to provide forage of high quality and adequate quantity for livestock feed. Accession of brachiaria ruziziensis 14813 (24.685 t/ha) and brachiaria decumbens 14721 (20.89t/ha) showed the highest forage dry matter production than the remaining evaluated grass accessions. Although brachiaria grass accession 14720 and 13205 had higher CP content than accessions 14721, high forage dry matter yield is more appealing to farmers it is not recommended for cultivation in the study area. Thus, these two grass accessions brachiaria ruziziensis 14813 and brachiaria decumbens 14721 are the most suitable for providing better quality and quantity of livestock feed in the lowlands of Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia and similar agro-ecologies to the study area.

Published in	Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Volume 6, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13
Page(s)	42-46
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Dry Matter Yield, Plant Height, Plot Cover, Tiller Numbers

References

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APA Style

Tolera Fikadu, Worku Bekuma, Wubishet Tesfaye, Melese Furgasa. (2021). Adaptability Study of Brachiaria Grass Accessions for Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Lowlands of East Oromia, Ethiopia. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 6(2), 42-46. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13

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ACS Style

Tolera Fikadu; Worku Bekuma; Wubishet Tesfaye; Melese Furgasa. Adaptability Study of Brachiaria Grass Accessions for Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Lowlands of East Oromia, Ethiopia. Ecol. Evol. Biol. 2021, 6(2), 42-46. doi: 10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13

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AMA Style

Tolera Fikadu, Worku Bekuma, Wubishet Tesfaye, Melese Furgasa. Adaptability Study of Brachiaria Grass Accessions for Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Lowlands of East Oromia, Ethiopia. Ecol Evol Biol. 2021;6(2):42-46. doi: 10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13

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@article{10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13,
  author = {Tolera Fikadu and Worku Bekuma and Wubishet Tesfaye and Melese Furgasa},
  title = {Adaptability Study of Brachiaria Grass Accessions for Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Lowlands of East Oromia, Ethiopia},
  journal = {Ecology and Evolutionary Biology},
  volume = {6},
  number = {2},
  pages = {42-46},
  doi = {10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.eeb.20210602.13},
  abstract = {Livestock production in the lowlands of Eastern Oromia of Ethiopia depends mainly on natural pastures and crop residues which are of poor quality and the yield is generally low during the dry season. Therefore, there is a need to introduce alternative forages of high quality that are adapted to the region. The objective of this study was to identify and select the best Brachiaria grass accession/s for dry matter (DM) yield and nutritive quality in lowlands of Eastern Oromia. The experiment was conducted in the lowlands of Fedis and Dire-Dawa districts during 2018 to 2020. The experimental materials were brachiaria decumbens accessions 1087, 13205, 14721, 14720 and brachiaria ruziziensis accessions 13332, 14743, 14771, 14774, 14813. These grass accessions were compared with one local check, a locally cultivated brachiaria grass. Plant established successfully at both sites for the last three years. Tiller numbers, plant height, forage dry matter yield and plot covers were recorded at 16 weeks after planting. Significant (p<0.05) difference were detected among the tested grass accessions in plot cover, height, tiller number, dry matter yield, OM%, Ash%, CP%, NDF%, ADF% and ADL% contents. The results showed that brachiaria grasses had the potential to provide forage of high quality and adequate quantity for livestock feed. Accession of brachiaria ruziziensis 14813 (24.685 t/ha) and brachiaria decumbens 14721 (20.89t/ha) showed the highest forage dry matter production than the remaining evaluated grass accessions. Although brachiaria grass accession 14720 and 13205 had higher CP content than accessions 14721, high forage dry matter yield is more appealing to farmers it is not recommended for cultivation in the study area. Thus, these two grass accessions brachiaria ruziziensis 14813 and brachiaria decumbens 14721 are the most suitable for providing better quality and quantity of livestock feed in the lowlands of Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia and similar agro-ecologies to the study area.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Adaptability Study of Brachiaria Grass Accessions for Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Lowlands of East Oromia, Ethiopia
AU  - Tolera Fikadu
AU  - Worku Bekuma
AU  - Wubishet Tesfaye
AU  - Melese Furgasa
Y1  - 2021/06/25
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13
T2  - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
JF  - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
JO  - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
SP  - 42
EP  - 46
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-3762
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13
AB  - Livestock production in the lowlands of Eastern Oromia of Ethiopia depends mainly on natural pastures and crop residues which are of poor quality and the yield is generally low during the dry season. Therefore, there is a need to introduce alternative forages of high quality that are adapted to the region. The objective of this study was to identify and select the best Brachiaria grass accession/s for dry matter (DM) yield and nutritive quality in lowlands of Eastern Oromia. The experiment was conducted in the lowlands of Fedis and Dire-Dawa districts during 2018 to 2020. The experimental materials were brachiaria decumbens accessions 1087, 13205, 14721, 14720 and brachiaria ruziziensis accessions 13332, 14743, 14771, 14774, 14813. These grass accessions were compared with one local check, a locally cultivated brachiaria grass. Plant established successfully at both sites for the last three years. Tiller numbers, plant height, forage dry matter yield and plot covers were recorded at 16 weeks after planting. Significant (p<0.05) difference were detected among the tested grass accessions in plot cover, height, tiller number, dry matter yield, OM%, Ash%, CP%, NDF%, ADF% and ADL% contents. The results showed that brachiaria grasses had the potential to provide forage of high quality and adequate quantity for livestock feed. Accession of brachiaria ruziziensis 14813 (24.685 t/ha) and brachiaria decumbens 14721 (20.89t/ha) showed the highest forage dry matter production than the remaining evaluated grass accessions. Although brachiaria grass accession 14720 and 13205 had higher CP content than accessions 14721, high forage dry matter yield is more appealing to farmers it is not recommended for cultivation in the study area. Thus, these two grass accessions brachiaria ruziziensis 14813 and brachiaria decumbens 14721 are the most suitable for providing better quality and quantity of livestock feed in the lowlands of Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia and similar agro-ecologies to the study area.
VL  - 6
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

Tolera Fikadu

Range Ecology and Biodiversity, Fedis Agricultural Research Center, Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Harar, Ethiopia
Worku Bekuma

Animal Nutrition, Fedis Agricultural Research Center, Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Harar, Ethiopia
Wubishet Tesfaye

Animal Nutrition, Fedis Agricultural Research Center, Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Harar, Ethiopia
Melese Furgasa

Range Ecology and Biodiversity, Fedis Agricultural Research Center, Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Harar, Ethiopia

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APA Style

Tolera Fikadu, Worku Bekuma, Wubishet Tesfaye, Melese Furgasa. (2021). Adaptability Study of Brachiaria Grass Accessions for Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Lowlands of East Oromia, Ethiopia. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 6(2), 42-46. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13

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ACS Style

Tolera Fikadu; Worku Bekuma; Wubishet Tesfaye; Melese Furgasa. Adaptability Study of Brachiaria Grass Accessions for Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Lowlands of East Oromia, Ethiopia. Ecol. Evol. Biol. 2021, 6(2), 42-46. doi: 10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13

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AMA Style

Tolera Fikadu, Worku Bekuma, Wubishet Tesfaye, Melese Furgasa. Adaptability Study of Brachiaria Grass Accessions for Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Lowlands of East Oromia, Ethiopia. Ecol Evol Biol. 2021;6(2):42-46. doi: 10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13,
  author = {Tolera Fikadu and Worku Bekuma and Wubishet Tesfaye and Melese Furgasa},
  title = {Adaptability Study of Brachiaria Grass Accessions for Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Lowlands of East Oromia, Ethiopia},
  journal = {Ecology and Evolutionary Biology},
  volume = {6},
  number = {2},
  pages = {42-46},
  doi = {10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.eeb.20210602.13},
  abstract = {Livestock production in the lowlands of Eastern Oromia of Ethiopia depends mainly on natural pastures and crop residues which are of poor quality and the yield is generally low during the dry season. Therefore, there is a need to introduce alternative forages of high quality that are adapted to the region. The objective of this study was to identify and select the best Brachiaria grass accession/s for dry matter (DM) yield and nutritive quality in lowlands of Eastern Oromia. The experiment was conducted in the lowlands of Fedis and Dire-Dawa districts during 2018 to 2020. The experimental materials were brachiaria decumbens accessions 1087, 13205, 14721, 14720 and brachiaria ruziziensis accessions 13332, 14743, 14771, 14774, 14813. These grass accessions were compared with one local check, a locally cultivated brachiaria grass. Plant established successfully at both sites for the last three years. Tiller numbers, plant height, forage dry matter yield and plot covers were recorded at 16 weeks after planting. Significant (p<0.05) difference were detected among the tested grass accessions in plot cover, height, tiller number, dry matter yield, OM%, Ash%, CP%, NDF%, ADF% and ADL% contents. The results showed that brachiaria grasses had the potential to provide forage of high quality and adequate quantity for livestock feed. Accession of brachiaria ruziziensis 14813 (24.685 t/ha) and brachiaria decumbens 14721 (20.89t/ha) showed the highest forage dry matter production than the remaining evaluated grass accessions. Although brachiaria grass accession 14720 and 13205 had higher CP content than accessions 14721, high forage dry matter yield is more appealing to farmers it is not recommended for cultivation in the study area. Thus, these two grass accessions brachiaria ruziziensis 14813 and brachiaria decumbens 14721 are the most suitable for providing better quality and quantity of livestock feed in the lowlands of Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia and similar agro-ecologies to the study area.},
 year = {2021}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Adaptability Study of Brachiaria Grass Accessions for Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Lowlands of East Oromia, Ethiopia
AU  - Tolera Fikadu
AU  - Worku Bekuma
AU  - Wubishet Tesfaye
AU  - Melese Furgasa
Y1  - 2021/06/25
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13
T2  - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
JF  - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
JO  - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
SP  - 42
EP  - 46
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-3762
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20210602.13
AB  - Livestock production in the lowlands of Eastern Oromia of Ethiopia depends mainly on natural pastures and crop residues which are of poor quality and the yield is generally low during the dry season. Therefore, there is a need to introduce alternative forages of high quality that are adapted to the region. The objective of this study was to identify and select the best Brachiaria grass accession/s for dry matter (DM) yield and nutritive quality in lowlands of Eastern Oromia. The experiment was conducted in the lowlands of Fedis and Dire-Dawa districts during 2018 to 2020. The experimental materials were brachiaria decumbens accessions 1087, 13205, 14721, 14720 and brachiaria ruziziensis accessions 13332, 14743, 14771, 14774, 14813. These grass accessions were compared with one local check, a locally cultivated brachiaria grass. Plant established successfully at both sites for the last three years. Tiller numbers, plant height, forage dry matter yield and plot covers were recorded at 16 weeks after planting. Significant (p<0.05) difference were detected among the tested grass accessions in plot cover, height, tiller number, dry matter yield, OM%, Ash%, CP%, NDF%, ADF% and ADL% contents. The results showed that brachiaria grasses had the potential to provide forage of high quality and adequate quantity for livestock feed. Accession of brachiaria ruziziensis 14813 (24.685 t/ha) and brachiaria decumbens 14721 (20.89t/ha) showed the highest forage dry matter production than the remaining evaluated grass accessions. Although brachiaria grass accession 14720 and 13205 had higher CP content than accessions 14721, high forage dry matter yield is more appealing to farmers it is not recommended for cultivation in the study area. Thus, these two grass accessions brachiaria ruziziensis 14813 and brachiaria decumbens 14721 are the most suitable for providing better quality and quantity of livestock feed in the lowlands of Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia and similar agro-ecologies to the study area.
VL  - 6
IS  - 2
ER  -

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