Herbage productivity of the Winneba plains of Ghana

Fleischer, J.E., Department of Animal Science, University of Ghana, P.o. Box 226, Legon, Ghana; Allotey , A.J, Environmental Protection Agency, P.D. Box M32, Ministries Post Ofjice, Accra, Ghana); Heathcote, I., Environmental Protection Agency, P.D. Box M32, Ministries Post Ofjice, Accra, Ghana)

Herbage productivity of the Winneba plains of Ghana

1996

Fleischer, J.E., Department of Animal Science, University of Ghana, P.o. Box 226, Legon, Ghana | Allotey , A.J, Environmental Protection Agency, P.D. Box M32, Ministries Post Ofjice, Accra, Ghana) | Heathcote, I., Environmental Protection Agency, P.D. Box M32, Ministries Post Ofjice, Accra, Ghana)

The biomass productivity of the Winneba plains of Ghana was measured between January 1990 and February 1992. Ten·sampling sites were chosen forthestudy. An areaof5.0x 5.0m was demarcated and wlthin it an area of 1.0 m x 1.0 m washarvested at monthly intervals, clipped by means of sickle at 5cm above ground, and dried at 70·C for more than 48 h for drymatter determination. Crop growth rate was then estimated. Drymatter yields were 5.29 and 6.31 t ha-'yr-! on the clayey andsandy soils respectively, averaging 5.87 t ha-!yr-! for theWinneba plains. The respective crop growth rates on theclayey and sandy soils were 1.935 and 2.236 gm_' day-! betweenApril and August, 0.867 and 1.0779 g m,2day-! between Septemberand February and 0.296 and 0.742 g m_2day-! respectivelyin March. Carrying capacity may probably be inthe rangeof2.18 and3.86haAU-' per annum.

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