Plant growth characteristics and productivity of Napier grass (Pennisetum Purpurem (L.)Schumach.) as affected by plant height at cutting, sources and levels of fertiliser
2003
Tesema Zewdu(Adet Agricultural Research Center, Bahi Dar (Ethiopia)) | R.M.T Baars(Alemaya University, Dire Dawa (Ethiopia)) | Alemu Yami(Debre Zeit Research Center, Debre Zeit (Ethiopia))
Plant growth and dry matter yield (DMY) of Napier grass (pennisetum purpureum Schumach) were studied under field conditions at Adet Agricultural Research Center, Northwestern Ethiopia. The treatments were five fertilizer applications (0, 46 and 92 N kg ha sup(-1), and 1 and 2 t ha sup(-1) cattle manure) and three plant heights at cutting (0.5, 1 and 1.5 m). There was significant (p0.05) effect on DMY due to plant height at cutting, fertilizer application and their interaction. The highest DMY was obtained from an interaction of cutting at 1.0 m by 92 N kg ha sup(-1) with 12.34 t ha sup(-1). Plant height at cutting showed a significant (p0.05) effect on number of leaf per tiller (NLPT), total leaves per plant (TLPP), leaf length (LL) and leaf: stem ratio (LSR). Internode number per tiller (INPT), internode length per tiller (ILPT), number of tiller per plant (NTPP) and basal circumference per plant (BCPP) were affected (p0.05) by both plant height at cutting and fertilizer application. Plant growth characteristics, which positively influenced DMY of Napier grass were NLPT, TLPP, NTPP and BCPP while the effect of LSR was negative. Research on Napier grass should consider these plant growth characteristics to achieve optimum DMY and quality of Napier grass genotypes.
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