Performance of several bermudagrass cultivars (Cynodon dactylon L.), screened for winter hardiness, in Japan
1992
Kanno, T. (National Grassland Research Inst., Nishinasuno, Tochigi (Japan)) | Fukuyama, M. | Sato, S. | Sudo, K.
In this study, winter hardiness, dry matter production and in vitro dry matter digestibility were examined in several bermudagrass cultivars screened for winter hardiness, in order to utilize them as pasture plants with a high nutrient content for summer grazing in Japan. Six bermudagrass cultivars among the eight examined were able to survive during the winter, though the lowest temperature was -8.2 degrees C. The number of winter buds before wintering and the number of shoots after wintering were larger in Tifton 44, Guymon and Brazos. Shoot elongation in the spring was more rapid in Brazos, Coastal and Guymon. In the grazing experiment, stand establishment after planting of bermudagrass springs was more rapid in Grazer and Brazos among the five cultivars examined, and Grazer and Brazos reached a canopy coverage of 83% and 54%, respectively, before winter. However, regrowth in the spring and dry matter production were rather poor in all the cultivars except for Brazos, owing to the dominance of fingergrass, though all the cultivars showed rapid growth after the decay of fingergrass. Dry matter intake of bermudagrass by ruminants was highest in the Brazos swards, reaching a value of 4,620kg DM/ha in 1990, two years after sward establishment. In vitro dry matter digestibility was highest for Grazer (57.4%), followed by Brazos, and digestible dry matter intake was highest for Brazos (1,580 DM kg/ha in 1989 and 2,380 DM kg/ha in 1990). These data indicated the superiority of Brazos in winter hardiness, dry matter production and competitiveness, when grown in the Kanto region which is a marginal area for wintering of tropical grasses in Japan
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