Evaluation of Forage Productivity and Nutritional Value of Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) at Different Fertilizer Application Amounts and Different Stages of Maturity

The purpose of this study was to assess the forage productivity and nutritive value of kenaf at different fertilizer application amounts and various stages of maturity. The experiment was conducted from May to September 2020, the amount of 80 kg of kenaf seed/ha was supplied with different types and amounts of nitrogen fertilizer and the plants were harvested at 10-day intervals from different harvesting dates (24th August and 3rd, 13th, 23rd September). According to the different fertilizer types and application amounts, the highest kenaf height was recorded in the inorganic fertilizer amounts of 200 and 250 kg N/ha and the fresh and DM yield were significantly improved in the inorganic nitrogen amount of 250 kg N/ha. The highest CP and TDN content in the leaf was achieved in the inorganic fertilizer amounts of 150 and 200 kg N/ha, respectively; and the highest TDN content in the stem was also found in the inorganic fertilizer amount of 200 kg N/ha. According to the different harvesting dates, the highest DM ratio was found in the harvesting date of 13th September, the leaf ratio increased with advanced maturity, whereas the stem ratio decreased significantly and the highest DM yield of kenaf was recorded in the harvesting dates of 13th and 23rd September. Besides, the highest CP, CF, CA, ADF, NDF and TDN content in the leaf as influenced by different harvesting dates was 15.4, 31.8, 10.2, 22.1, 34.7 and 76.5%, respectively, and the CP, CA, ADF and TDN in stem decreased significantly with advanced maturity of kenaf. In conclusion, the optimal fertilizer amounts and the appropriate harvesting dates for a high forage yield and high-quality kenaf as livestock feed were the inorganic fertilizer application amounts of 200-250 kg N/ha and from 13th and 23rd September, respectively.