This study evaluated the effects of altitude (mid vs. high) and harvesting date (90, 120, 150 days) on the morphological characteristics, yield, and nutritive value of desho grass in Ethiopia. Key findings include:
1) Most morphological characteristics were not significantly affected by altitude except leaf length. Harvesting date significantly impacted number of leaves, leaf-to-stem ratio, and dry matter yield.
2) Both altitude and harvesting date significantly affected crude protein content, yield, and fiber fractions. Calcium was only impacted by harvesting date while phosphorus was only impacted by altitude.
3) Dry matter content and yield were positively correlated with plant height, leaf length, crude protein yield
Standard heterosis of pipeline maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids for grain yield an...Premier Publishers
The knowledge of gene action and heterosis also helps in identification of superior F1 hybrids in order to use further in future breeding programs. The objective of this study was to estimate the amount of standard heterosis of the pipeline maize hybrids for grain yield and yield related traits. A total of eleven pipeline maize hybrids and two standard checks (BH546 and BH547) were evaluated using randomized complete block design with three replications during the 2015 main cropping season at Northwestern Ethiopia. Mean squares due to genotypes were highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) for most grain yield and yield related traits indicating the existence of genetic variation among the evaluated genotypes. The standard heterosis ranged from -38.72 to 33.65%and the highest heterosis was recorded for CML395/CML202//CML464 cross. The observed highest heterosis for grain yield and related traits indicated the possibility of increasing yield by exploiting heterotic potential of maize genotypes. The information generated by this study could be useful for researchers who need to develop high yielding maize hybrids.
Effect of nitrogen fertilizer rates and intra-row spacing on yield and yield ...Premier Publishers
A field experiment was conducted at Gode Polytechnic College demonstration farm in 2013 under irrigation to observe the effect of six N rates (0, 46, 69, 92, 115 and 138 kg ha-1) and four intra-row spacing levels (7.5, 10 12.5 and 15 cm) on yield and yield components of onion (Allium cepa L.). The experiment was laid out according to randomized complete block design in factorial arrangement with three replications. Results of the analysis revealed that the interaction effects of N rates and intra-row spacing showed highly significant (P<0.01) effect on harvest index, fresh biomass yield, dry biomass yield, total bulb yield and marketable bulb yield. Thus, according to the result of partial Budget analysis application of 138kg N ha-1 planted at 7.5cm plant to plant distance was found the best treatment than others in relation to yield and yield components of onion under Gode condition.
Adaptation and Performance Evaluation of Released Napier Grass Varieties unde...PriyankaKilaniya
Five Napier grass varieties were evaluated for agronomic performance and yield at Abobo agricultural research center under rain fed condition in Gambella. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with three replications. Data on agronomic parameters such as plant height, survival rate, leaf to stem ratio, node number per plant, internodes length per plant, tillering performance and dry matter yield were analyzed using general linear model(GLM) procedure of SAS, least significant difference (LSD) at 5% was used for mean separation. Combined analysis indicated that tested varieties varied significantly (p<0.05) for survival rate, plant height, leaf to stem ratio, tillering performance, internodes length per plant and dry matter yield. The highest plant survival rate (86.33%) was recorded for Check followed by varieties 16819(73.60%), 16984(71.92%), and 16791(67.83%) respectively. On the other hand, variety 15743(66.67%) showed the lowest plant survival rate. The mean plant height ranges from 2.09m to 2.49m with an overall mean plant height of 2.31m. The tallest mean plant height (2.49m) was recorded in 15743 while shortest mean plan height (2.09m) was recorded in check. The mean leaf to stem ratio range from 1.71 to 1.28 with the overall mean of 1.52, and The higher leaf to stem ratio value (1.71) were recorded from check, followed by 16984(1.67), 15743(1.59), 16819(1.35) while the lowest value were recorded in 16791(1.28). In a combined analysis the mean dry matter yield range from 20.02 t/ha to 14.05 t/ha with the overall mean of 16.24 t/ha. The higher dry matter yield value (20.02 t/ha) were recorded from 16819, followed by 16791(16.77t/ha) and check (16.12t/ha) respectively. The lowest mean dry matter yield were recorded in 16984(14.05 t/ha) and 15743(14.26t/ha). Generally, Napier grass varieties tested has shown variation for agronomic performance and yield under rain fed condition in Gambella
Adaptation Trial of Improved Perennial Grass Varieties/Accessions at the High...Premier Publishers
This study was conducted with an objective of adapting, see the yield, quality and recommend improved perennial grass accessions to the highland of Guji Zone, Ethiopia in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three blocks. Accessions were (Phalaris aquatica Sirossa Phalaris aquatica Sirocco, ILCA 14983, ILCA 14984 and variety X (Holeta local). Broadcasting method for Phalaris and 0.5meter between plant and 1meter between row spacing for Napier grass was applied at planting time each plot measuring 4meter x 6meter. Yield parameters were analyzed using statistical analysis software (SAS) and the means of quality parameters were compared with standards. Accordingly, Napier variety X was significant in survival rate, number of shoot, date of first harvest and harvesting frequency at (P<0.05) and highest in crude protein (CP) content. ILCA 14983 were also significant in survival rate and number of shoot and has highest in vitro dry matter digestibility (DOMD). Phalaris aquatica Sirossa was significant in green forage yield and has highest in vitro dry matter digestibility (DOMD). Generally, considering most parameters, Variety X and ILCA 14983 from Napier grass, Phalaris aquatica Sirossa from Phalaris were selected and recommended to the area and has to be evaluated under farmers’ conditions.
Influence of Harvest Stage on Yield and Yield Components of Orange Fleshed Sw...Premier Publishers
A field experiment was conducted at Adami Tullu Agricultural Research Center in 2018 under rainfed condition with supplementary irrigation to determine the influence of harvest stage on vine yield and tuberous root yield of orange fleshed sweet potato varieties. The experiment consisted of four harvest stages (105, 120, 135 and 150 days after planting) and Kulfo, Tulla and Guntute varieties. A 4 X 3 factorial experiment arranged in randomized complete block design with three replications was used. Interaction of harvest stage and variety significantly influenced above ground fresh biomass, vine length, marketable tuberous root weight per hectare, commercial harvest index and harvest index. The highest mean values of above ground fresh biomass (66.12 t/ha) and marketable tuberous root weight (56.39 t/ha) were produced by Guntute variety harvested at 135 days after planting. Based on the results, it can be recommended that, farmers of the study area can grow Guntute variety by harvesting at 135 days after planting to obtain optimum vine and tuberous root yields.
Standard heterosis of pipeline maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids for grain yield an...Premier Publishers
The knowledge of gene action and heterosis also helps in identification of superior F1 hybrids in order to use further in future breeding programs. The objective of this study was to estimate the amount of standard heterosis of the pipeline maize hybrids for grain yield and yield related traits. A total of eleven pipeline maize hybrids and two standard checks (BH546 and BH547) were evaluated using randomized complete block design with three replications during the 2015 main cropping season at Northwestern Ethiopia. Mean squares due to genotypes were highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) for most grain yield and yield related traits indicating the existence of genetic variation among the evaluated genotypes. The standard heterosis ranged from -38.72 to 33.65%and the highest heterosis was recorded for CML395/CML202//CML464 cross. The observed highest heterosis for grain yield and related traits indicated the possibility of increasing yield by exploiting heterotic potential of maize genotypes. The information generated by this study could be useful for researchers who need to develop high yielding maize hybrids.
Effect of nitrogen fertilizer rates and intra-row spacing on yield and yield ...Premier Publishers
A field experiment was conducted at Gode Polytechnic College demonstration farm in 2013 under irrigation to observe the effect of six N rates (0, 46, 69, 92, 115 and 138 kg ha-1) and four intra-row spacing levels (7.5, 10 12.5 and 15 cm) on yield and yield components of onion (Allium cepa L.). The experiment was laid out according to randomized complete block design in factorial arrangement with three replications. Results of the analysis revealed that the interaction effects of N rates and intra-row spacing showed highly significant (P<0.01) effect on harvest index, fresh biomass yield, dry biomass yield, total bulb yield and marketable bulb yield. Thus, according to the result of partial Budget analysis application of 138kg N ha-1 planted at 7.5cm plant to plant distance was found the best treatment than others in relation to yield and yield components of onion under Gode condition.
Adaptation and Performance Evaluation of Released Napier Grass Varieties unde...PriyankaKilaniya
Five Napier grass varieties were evaluated for agronomic performance and yield at Abobo agricultural research center under rain fed condition in Gambella. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with three replications. Data on agronomic parameters such as plant height, survival rate, leaf to stem ratio, node number per plant, internodes length per plant, tillering performance and dry matter yield were analyzed using general linear model(GLM) procedure of SAS, least significant difference (LSD) at 5% was used for mean separation. Combined analysis indicated that tested varieties varied significantly (p<0.05) for survival rate, plant height, leaf to stem ratio, tillering performance, internodes length per plant and dry matter yield. The highest plant survival rate (86.33%) was recorded for Check followed by varieties 16819(73.60%), 16984(71.92%), and 16791(67.83%) respectively. On the other hand, variety 15743(66.67%) showed the lowest plant survival rate. The mean plant height ranges from 2.09m to 2.49m with an overall mean plant height of 2.31m. The tallest mean plant height (2.49m) was recorded in 15743 while shortest mean plan height (2.09m) was recorded in check. The mean leaf to stem ratio range from 1.71 to 1.28 with the overall mean of 1.52, and The higher leaf to stem ratio value (1.71) were recorded from check, followed by 16984(1.67), 15743(1.59), 16819(1.35) while the lowest value were recorded in 16791(1.28). In a combined analysis the mean dry matter yield range from 20.02 t/ha to 14.05 t/ha with the overall mean of 16.24 t/ha. The higher dry matter yield value (20.02 t/ha) were recorded from 16819, followed by 16791(16.77t/ha) and check (16.12t/ha) respectively. The lowest mean dry matter yield were recorded in 16984(14.05 t/ha) and 15743(14.26t/ha). Generally, Napier grass varieties tested has shown variation for agronomic performance and yield under rain fed condition in Gambella
Adaptation Trial of Improved Perennial Grass Varieties/Accessions at the High...Premier Publishers
This study was conducted with an objective of adapting, see the yield, quality and recommend improved perennial grass accessions to the highland of Guji Zone, Ethiopia in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three blocks. Accessions were (Phalaris aquatica Sirossa Phalaris aquatica Sirocco, ILCA 14983, ILCA 14984 and variety X (Holeta local). Broadcasting method for Phalaris and 0.5meter between plant and 1meter between row spacing for Napier grass was applied at planting time each plot measuring 4meter x 6meter. Yield parameters were analyzed using statistical analysis software (SAS) and the means of quality parameters were compared with standards. Accordingly, Napier variety X was significant in survival rate, number of shoot, date of first harvest and harvesting frequency at (P<0.05) and highest in crude protein (CP) content. ILCA 14983 were also significant in survival rate and number of shoot and has highest in vitro dry matter digestibility (DOMD). Phalaris aquatica Sirossa was significant in green forage yield and has highest in vitro dry matter digestibility (DOMD). Generally, considering most parameters, Variety X and ILCA 14983 from Napier grass, Phalaris aquatica Sirossa from Phalaris were selected and recommended to the area and has to be evaluated under farmers’ conditions.
Influence of Harvest Stage on Yield and Yield Components of Orange Fleshed Sw...Premier Publishers
A field experiment was conducted at Adami Tullu Agricultural Research Center in 2018 under rainfed condition with supplementary irrigation to determine the influence of harvest stage on vine yield and tuberous root yield of orange fleshed sweet potato varieties. The experiment consisted of four harvest stages (105, 120, 135 and 150 days after planting) and Kulfo, Tulla and Guntute varieties. A 4 X 3 factorial experiment arranged in randomized complete block design with three replications was used. Interaction of harvest stage and variety significantly influenced above ground fresh biomass, vine length, marketable tuberous root weight per hectare, commercial harvest index and harvest index. The highest mean values of above ground fresh biomass (66.12 t/ha) and marketable tuberous root weight (56.39 t/ha) were produced by Guntute variety harvested at 135 days after planting. Based on the results, it can be recommended that, farmers of the study area can grow Guntute variety by harvesting at 135 days after planting to obtain optimum vine and tuberous root yields.
Genetic and Morphological Diversity Analysis of Ethiopian Mustard (Brasica ca...Premier Publishers
Growing of Ethiopian mustard, as an oilseed and leaf vegetable require genetic improvement which relies on its genetic diversity. The experiment was executed to analyse genetic and morphological diversity of Ethiopian mustard land races at Holetta agricultural research center. Forty-nine genotypes collected from different agro ecologies were analyzed using morphological traits in order to assess the genetic and morphological diversity that exists in these materials. The experiment was carried out in a simple lattice design. The analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences among genotypes for all traits compared except seed yield per plant, fresh leaf biomass per plant topped at 40, 50 and 60 days of growth and number of intact leaves at flowering. The significant difference indicates the existence of genetic variability among the accessions that is important for selection and breeding. For yield component traits, high genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variations was observed in seed yield per plot and oil yield. This shows that selection of these traits based on phenotype, may be useful for yield improvement. The highest heritability in broad sense was recorded for thousand seed weight(68.80%), followed by days to flowering (65.91%), stand percent (63.14%), linolenic acid (62.58%), days to maturity(60.43%), plant height (59.63%), palmitic (58.19%), linoleic (57.46%),leaf area (52..09%), oil content (50.33%), leaf width (48.29%),leaf length(46.28%), oil yield(44.84%), fresh leaf biomass at 50 days of topping(43.40%), seed yield per plot(42.99%), number of leaves at vegetative state(40.48%), seed yield of 50 days growth stage topped plants(38.85%) and primary branches (34.20%). This suggests that large proportion of the total variance was due to high genotypic variance. Hence, a good progress can be made if some of these traits are considered as selection criteria for the improvement of yield, yield component and vegetative traits. The present study revealed the presence of considerable variability among genotypes for all traits compared except seed yield per plant, fresh leaf biomass per plant topped at 40,50 and 60 days of growth and number of intact leaves at flowering. These conditions indicate that there is good opportunity to improve these characters using the tested genotypes.
A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of plant spacing and phosphorus rates on yield related traits and yield of faba bean (Viacia faba L.) at Farmers Training Center, Duna District during 2015 summer cropping season. Three intra-rows spacing (5, 10 and 15 cm), three inter-rows spacing (30, 40 and 50 cm) and three phosphorus rates (0, 46 and 92 kg/ha) were tested. The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and was replicated three times. Improved faba bean variety (Degaga) was ued as test crop. Phenological growth parameters yield and yield related data were collected and their ANOVA was analyzed using GenSta 5th edition and while treatment means were significantly different, they were separated using Least Significant Difference (LSD) at 5% probability level. There was highly significant (P<0.01) effect of the highest rate of phosphorus (92 kg P2O5 ha-1) on days to flowering, days to maturity, leaf area index, effective nodules per plant, plant height , primary tillers plant-1, seeds pod-1, hundred seed weight, grain yield, above ground dry biomass and harvest index. Significantly lowest days to flowering (54.3 days) after emergence and highest plant height (105.63 cm), leaf area (1073 cm2), seeds pod-1(3.57), grain yield (2633 kg ha-1), dry biomass (8108kg ha-1) and harvest index (32.47) were obtained from the highest rate of P (92 kg P2O5 ha-1). For all inter-rows spacing, the leaf area, number of primary tillers, pods plant-1, seeds pod-1 and hundred seed weight were increased as intra-row spacing increase and the highest leaf area (1084 cm2), primary tillers (2.99) and hundred seed weight (54.59 g) were obtained from the widest (50 cm) inter-row spacing, while the highest effective nodules (59.56) and leaf area index (3.51) were resulted from the narrowest (30 cm) inter-row spacing. On the other hand, the interaction effects of inter and intra-row spacing significantly influenced, number of pods plant-1, number of seeds pod-1, above ground dry biomass, grain yield and harvest index. The 30 cm inter-row by 15 cm intra-row spacing gave the highest grain yield (2495 kg ha-1), harvest index (35.79%) and pods plant-1(19.68) whereas the highest dry biomass (8738 kg ha-1) was obtained from 30 cm x 5 cm spacing combination. Thus, it can be concluded that application of 92 kg P2O5 ha-1 rate of phosphorus at 30 x 15 cm spacing combination proved to be superior with respect to grain yield in the study area. However, further study at least for one more cropping season under different soils is required to reach at conclusive recommendation.
Investigation of Correlation Coefficient for Forage and Grain Yield with Rela...Premier Publishers
Oat (Avena sativa L.) is a staple worldwide in both human and animal nutrition. It is mainly grown for livestock, depending on its grain and forage yield in Turkey. This study was based on defining correlation coefficients of some oat genotypes (nine lines and three cultivars) in Konya, Turkey, among fodder and grain yields, and their components. The experimental design of this study was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The correlations were analyzed after harvesting at milk to dough period. The findings illustrated that there was a significant positive correlation between green fodder yield and leaf weights in ten stems, and grain yield and the number of panicles stems per square meter. The highest negative correlations was found between green fodder yield and the number of panicles stems per square meter, and grain yield and 50% flowering periods in addition to green fodder yield. This research suggests that the number of panicles stems per square meter and dry fodder yield would be selection criteria for grain yield. The number of leaves per stem, the number of nodes, and plant height would also be considered for green fodder yield by oat breeders in their program in Anatolia.
Response of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to Different Rates of Nitrogen and P...Premier Publishers
In Ethiopia, wheat is being cultivated on about 1.51 million hectares, delivering 3.3 million tons of grain yields. However, productivity of this crop is low compared to its potential due to many factors among which N and P play a vital role. Field study was conducted in 2014 crop season at Fiche-Salale with the objective of determining the optimum rates of N and P fertilizer for wheat production. The treatments consist factorial combination of four level of N (0, 32, 64 and 96 kg/ha) and four level of P (0, 23, 46 and 69kg P2O5/ha) which were replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. Wheat variety, Digelu, was used as a test crop. The result of the study indicated that grain and biological yields were significantly affected only due to main effect N. The highest (3284 kg/ha) and lowest (2383 kg/ha) grain yield was obtained from application of 96 kg N/ha and 0 kg N/ha, respectively. Similarly, the highest (6611.00 kg/ha) and lowest (5145.00 kg/ha) biological yield was obtained from 96 kg N/ha and 64 kg N/ha, respectively. The highest MRR was also attained at 96 kg N/ha (6998.80%). Hence, 96 kg N/ha is profitable for the area.
Participatory variety selection of Faba Bean for yield components and yield a...Premier Publishers
Faba bean is one the major highland grain food legumes contributing an enormous amount of protein to the human diet in Ethiopia. Though a lot of improved varieties were released by research centers farmers depend on low yield and local varieties. Participatory variety selection is one of the methods used to evaluate varieties through involvement of users. The participatory faba bean variety selection was conducted during 2014 cropping season at Chiro and Gemachis districts on two farmers training center and three farmers field. Eight released varieties with one local check were laid out in Randomized complete block design in three replications on Farmers training center and single plot on farmer’s field. Agronomic and farmer selection data were collected and analyzed. From all the tested varieties, variety Hachalu was superior in grain yield (1437 kg ha-1) and ( 808 kg ha-1) while Wayu variety was yielded (719 kg ha-1) and 796 (kg ha-1) at Chiro and Gamachis respectively. The lowest grain yield was obtained from Obse (215 kg ha-1) variety at Chiro and Local variety (581 kg ha-1) at Gemachis respectively. In case of farmer preference Hachalu score higher mean value (3.8) followed by Tumsa (3.6) and least mean value was recorded from variety local (2.2). Therefore, the varieties selected by researcher and farmer data Hachalu, Wayu and Tumsa were recommended for further production in these areas.
Genetic Progress for Yield, Yield Components and Other Agronomic Characters o...Premier Publishers
Genetic progress has brought about increase in yield potential per se for almost all production areas around the world. The present study examines the relationship of groundnut yield with year of release, yield components and other agro-morphological traits using aggregative data from 1976 to 2012 to calculate genetic gain in groundnut grain yield across four locations in Eastern Ethiopia. The direct method, that compares cultivars with their year of release, was used. The relative gain for groundnut grain yield was 1.08% since 1976. A deeper understanding of these issues facilitates the identification of specific yield-limiting factors that can be used for future breeding strategies. Grain yield, 100 seed weight, plant height and harvest index were significantly correlated with year of release for tested locations, emphasizing the most promising traits for groundnut breeders in the past. These traits were also responsible for the significant genetic progress in groundnut yield in Ethiopia since 1976. Further improvement in the yield potential of groundnut will have to involve increase in other traits, like pod weight per plant, seed weight per plant, that have shown significant positive correlation with grain yield.
Genetic Variability, Heritability And Genetic Advance For Vegetable Yield And...Premier Publishers
The present study was carried out to estimate the genetic variability for vegetable yield and yield-related traits among Ethiopian kale accessions. The experiment was carried out using 7x7 simple lattice design at Debre zeit Agricultural Research Center during 2017 main cropping season. The analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences (p<0.01) among accessions for all traits except days to second leaf picking. High genotypic coefficient of variation and phenotypic coefficient of variation were estimated for the number of leaves per plant, fresh leaf weight, dry leaf matter content, fresh biomass and leaf yield. High broad sense heritability coupled with high Genetic advance as the percent of mean were obtained for the number of leaves per plant, fresh leaf weight, dry leaf matter content, leaf width, leaf petiole length, leaf petiole thickness, fresh biomass and leaf yield. It can be concluded that variation generated for these traits is mainly due to genetic and moderate role of environmental factors and these were the most important for selection criteria in developing high yielding Ethiopian kale accession. In general, the present study revealed the presence of variability among accession for most studied traits.
Estimate of Genetic Variability Parameters among Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea ...Premier Publishers
Sixteen groundnut genotypes (including local check) were evaluated for quantitative parameters. The crop was sown during 2015 wet season in Ethiopia across four locations. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Twelve quantitative parameters were studied. The analysis of variance revealed the prevalence of significant difference among the genotypes for all studied parameters. Based on mean performance of genotypes Beha gudo, Manipeter and Werer-962 were found to be best for grain yield in kg/ha. High to moderate estimates of genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) were exhibited by all characters except for SHP and NSP indicating that those characters could be used as selection indices for crop improvement. High heritability was observed for 100SW (91.2%), AGBP (90.3%), NBP (90.2%), PH (89.4%), NMP (86.8%), NSPOD (85.7%), HI (83.7%) and KY (79.7%) accompanied by high genetic advance indicating the predominant role of additive gene action and the possibilities of effective selection for the improvement of groundnut genotypes based on these characters. Low broad sense heritability and low genetic advance was observed only for SHP and NSP indicating low genetic potentials for these characters and non-additive gene effect prevails.
Genetic Variability and Multivariate Analysis in Indigenous and Exotic Sesame...Premier Publishers
The productivity of sesame in Ethiopia is below the world average due to lack of high yielding improved varieties. Understanding of genetic variability of characters becomes essential. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the
extent of genetic variation among yield and 19 yield components. One hundred sesame genotypes were evaluated in 10x10 triple lattice design at Werer during 2017 and 2018. The combined analysis of variance showed that the genotypes differed significantly. Higher phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation were observed for shattering resistance, whereas plant height, number of capsules per plant, harvest index and seed yield showed medium values. High heritability coupled with moderate to high genetic advance were observed for shattering resistance, plant height, capsule per plant, harvest
index and seed yield. The present study revealed that to increase sesame seed yield, the genotypes should possess a
greater number of capsules, shattering resistance and high harvest index, which known to be important yield contributing
characters and selection based on these characters would be most effective. The D2 analysis exhibited the group of
genotypes into seven clusters. Assessment of sesame genetic resources with molecular markers assisted breeding should be
considered in the future.
Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance in Potato (Solanum Tube...Premier Publishers
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) used as fresh products and commercially processed foods such as French fries and chips.The objective of the experiment was to assess the nature and magnitude of variability in potato genotypes for tuber quality, yield and yield-related traits. Twenty four potato genotypes were evaluated at Holetta Agricultural Research Centre using a randomized complete block design with three replications during the growing season of 2017. The results of the analysis of variance indicated there was highly significant differences among the genotypes for all traits excepted peel content. The phenotypic (PCV) and genotypic (GCV) coefficient of variation ranged between 0.90 to 46.43% and 0.75 to 40.0%. Heritability in the broad sense (H2) and genetic advance as percent of the mean (GAM) ranged from 38.13 to 91.64% and 1.28 to 73.50%. High phenotypic coefficients of variation and genotypic coefficients of variation coupled with high heritability and genetic advance as percent of mean were observed for shoot dry mass weight, average tuber number, average tuber weight, unmarketable tuber yield, small size tuber and large size tubers. Therefore, selection for these characters would be effective for the emerging processing industry and could be selected as parents for future crossing program in Ethiopia.
Genetic and Morphological Diversity Analysis of Ethiopian Mustard (Brasica ca...Premier Publishers
Growing of Ethiopian mustard, as an oilseed and leaf vegetable require genetic improvement which relies on its genetic diversity. The experiment was executed to analyse genetic and morphological diversity of Ethiopian mustard land races at Holetta agricultural research center. Forty-nine genotypes collected from different agro ecologies were analyzed using morphological traits in order to assess the genetic and morphological diversity that exists in these materials. The experiment was carried out in a simple lattice design. The analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences among genotypes for all traits compared except seed yield per plant, fresh leaf biomass per plant topped at 40, 50 and 60 days of growth and number of intact leaves at flowering. The significant difference indicates the existence of genetic variability among the accessions that is important for selection and breeding. For yield component traits, high genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variations was observed in seed yield per plot and oil yield. This shows that selection of these traits based on phenotype, may be useful for yield improvement. The highest heritability in broad sense was recorded for thousand seed weight(68.80%), followed by days to flowering (65.91%), stand percent (63.14%), linolenic acid (62.58%), days to maturity(60.43%), plant height (59.63%), palmitic (58.19%), linoleic (57.46%),leaf area (52..09%), oil content (50.33%), leaf width (48.29%),leaf length(46.28%), oil yield(44.84%), fresh leaf biomass at 50 days of topping(43.40%), seed yield per plot(42.99%), number of leaves at vegetative state(40.48%), seed yield of 50 days growth stage topped plants(38.85%) and primary branches (34.20%). This suggests that large proportion of the total variance was due to high genotypic variance. Hence, a good progress can be made if some of these traits are considered as selection criteria for the improvement of yield, yield component and vegetative traits. The present study revealed the presence of considerable variability among genotypes for all traits compared except seed yield per plant, fresh leaf biomass per plant topped at 40,50 and 60 days of growth and number of intact leaves at flowering. These conditions indicate that there is good opportunity to improve these characters using the tested genotypes.
A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of plant spacing and phosphorus rates on yield related traits and yield of faba bean (Viacia faba L.) at Farmers Training Center, Duna District during 2015 summer cropping season. Three intra-rows spacing (5, 10 and 15 cm), three inter-rows spacing (30, 40 and 50 cm) and three phosphorus rates (0, 46 and 92 kg/ha) were tested. The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and was replicated three times. Improved faba bean variety (Degaga) was ued as test crop. Phenological growth parameters yield and yield related data were collected and their ANOVA was analyzed using GenSta 5th edition and while treatment means were significantly different, they were separated using Least Significant Difference (LSD) at 5% probability level. There was highly significant (P<0.01) effect of the highest rate of phosphorus (92 kg P2O5 ha-1) on days to flowering, days to maturity, leaf area index, effective nodules per plant, plant height , primary tillers plant-1, seeds pod-1, hundred seed weight, grain yield, above ground dry biomass and harvest index. Significantly lowest days to flowering (54.3 days) after emergence and highest plant height (105.63 cm), leaf area (1073 cm2), seeds pod-1(3.57), grain yield (2633 kg ha-1), dry biomass (8108kg ha-1) and harvest index (32.47) were obtained from the highest rate of P (92 kg P2O5 ha-1). For all inter-rows spacing, the leaf area, number of primary tillers, pods plant-1, seeds pod-1 and hundred seed weight were increased as intra-row spacing increase and the highest leaf area (1084 cm2), primary tillers (2.99) and hundred seed weight (54.59 g) were obtained from the widest (50 cm) inter-row spacing, while the highest effective nodules (59.56) and leaf area index (3.51) were resulted from the narrowest (30 cm) inter-row spacing. On the other hand, the interaction effects of inter and intra-row spacing significantly influenced, number of pods plant-1, number of seeds pod-1, above ground dry biomass, grain yield and harvest index. The 30 cm inter-row by 15 cm intra-row spacing gave the highest grain yield (2495 kg ha-1), harvest index (35.79%) and pods plant-1(19.68) whereas the highest dry biomass (8738 kg ha-1) was obtained from 30 cm x 5 cm spacing combination. Thus, it can be concluded that application of 92 kg P2O5 ha-1 rate of phosphorus at 30 x 15 cm spacing combination proved to be superior with respect to grain yield in the study area. However, further study at least for one more cropping season under different soils is required to reach at conclusive recommendation.
Investigation of Correlation Coefficient for Forage and Grain Yield with Rela...Premier Publishers
Oat (Avena sativa L.) is a staple worldwide in both human and animal nutrition. It is mainly grown for livestock, depending on its grain and forage yield in Turkey. This study was based on defining correlation coefficients of some oat genotypes (nine lines and three cultivars) in Konya, Turkey, among fodder and grain yields, and their components. The experimental design of this study was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The correlations were analyzed after harvesting at milk to dough period. The findings illustrated that there was a significant positive correlation between green fodder yield and leaf weights in ten stems, and grain yield and the number of panicles stems per square meter. The highest negative correlations was found between green fodder yield and the number of panicles stems per square meter, and grain yield and 50% flowering periods in addition to green fodder yield. This research suggests that the number of panicles stems per square meter and dry fodder yield would be selection criteria for grain yield. The number of leaves per stem, the number of nodes, and plant height would also be considered for green fodder yield by oat breeders in their program in Anatolia.
Response of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to Different Rates of Nitrogen and P...Premier Publishers
In Ethiopia, wheat is being cultivated on about 1.51 million hectares, delivering 3.3 million tons of grain yields. However, productivity of this crop is low compared to its potential due to many factors among which N and P play a vital role. Field study was conducted in 2014 crop season at Fiche-Salale with the objective of determining the optimum rates of N and P fertilizer for wheat production. The treatments consist factorial combination of four level of N (0, 32, 64 and 96 kg/ha) and four level of P (0, 23, 46 and 69kg P2O5/ha) which were replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. Wheat variety, Digelu, was used as a test crop. The result of the study indicated that grain and biological yields were significantly affected only due to main effect N. The highest (3284 kg/ha) and lowest (2383 kg/ha) grain yield was obtained from application of 96 kg N/ha and 0 kg N/ha, respectively. Similarly, the highest (6611.00 kg/ha) and lowest (5145.00 kg/ha) biological yield was obtained from 96 kg N/ha and 64 kg N/ha, respectively. The highest MRR was also attained at 96 kg N/ha (6998.80%). Hence, 96 kg N/ha is profitable for the area.
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Faba bean is one the major highland grain food legumes contributing an enormous amount of protein to the human diet in Ethiopia. Though a lot of improved varieties were released by research centers farmers depend on low yield and local varieties. Participatory variety selection is one of the methods used to evaluate varieties through involvement of users. The participatory faba bean variety selection was conducted during 2014 cropping season at Chiro and Gemachis districts on two farmers training center and three farmers field. Eight released varieties with one local check were laid out in Randomized complete block design in three replications on Farmers training center and single plot on farmer’s field. Agronomic and farmer selection data were collected and analyzed. From all the tested varieties, variety Hachalu was superior in grain yield (1437 kg ha-1) and ( 808 kg ha-1) while Wayu variety was yielded (719 kg ha-1) and 796 (kg ha-1) at Chiro and Gamachis respectively. The lowest grain yield was obtained from Obse (215 kg ha-1) variety at Chiro and Local variety (581 kg ha-1) at Gemachis respectively. In case of farmer preference Hachalu score higher mean value (3.8) followed by Tumsa (3.6) and least mean value was recorded from variety local (2.2). Therefore, the varieties selected by researcher and farmer data Hachalu, Wayu and Tumsa were recommended for further production in these areas.
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Genetic progress has brought about increase in yield potential per se for almost all production areas around the world. The present study examines the relationship of groundnut yield with year of release, yield components and other agro-morphological traits using aggregative data from 1976 to 2012 to calculate genetic gain in groundnut grain yield across four locations in Eastern Ethiopia. The direct method, that compares cultivars with their year of release, was used. The relative gain for groundnut grain yield was 1.08% since 1976. A deeper understanding of these issues facilitates the identification of specific yield-limiting factors that can be used for future breeding strategies. Grain yield, 100 seed weight, plant height and harvest index were significantly correlated with year of release for tested locations, emphasizing the most promising traits for groundnut breeders in the past. These traits were also responsible for the significant genetic progress in groundnut yield in Ethiopia since 1976. Further improvement in the yield potential of groundnut will have to involve increase in other traits, like pod weight per plant, seed weight per plant, that have shown significant positive correlation with grain yield.
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The present study was carried out to estimate the genetic variability for vegetable yield and yield-related traits among Ethiopian kale accessions. The experiment was carried out using 7x7 simple lattice design at Debre zeit Agricultural Research Center during 2017 main cropping season. The analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences (p<0.01) among accessions for all traits except days to second leaf picking. High genotypic coefficient of variation and phenotypic coefficient of variation were estimated for the number of leaves per plant, fresh leaf weight, dry leaf matter content, fresh biomass and leaf yield. High broad sense heritability coupled with high Genetic advance as the percent of mean were obtained for the number of leaves per plant, fresh leaf weight, dry leaf matter content, leaf width, leaf petiole length, leaf petiole thickness, fresh biomass and leaf yield. It can be concluded that variation generated for these traits is mainly due to genetic and moderate role of environmental factors and these were the most important for selection criteria in developing high yielding Ethiopian kale accession. In general, the present study revealed the presence of variability among accession for most studied traits.
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Sixteen groundnut genotypes (including local check) were evaluated for quantitative parameters. The crop was sown during 2015 wet season in Ethiopia across four locations. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Twelve quantitative parameters were studied. The analysis of variance revealed the prevalence of significant difference among the genotypes for all studied parameters. Based on mean performance of genotypes Beha gudo, Manipeter and Werer-962 were found to be best for grain yield in kg/ha. High to moderate estimates of genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) were exhibited by all characters except for SHP and NSP indicating that those characters could be used as selection indices for crop improvement. High heritability was observed for 100SW (91.2%), AGBP (90.3%), NBP (90.2%), PH (89.4%), NMP (86.8%), NSPOD (85.7%), HI (83.7%) and KY (79.7%) accompanied by high genetic advance indicating the predominant role of additive gene action and the possibilities of effective selection for the improvement of groundnut genotypes based on these characters. Low broad sense heritability and low genetic advance was observed only for SHP and NSP indicating low genetic potentials for these characters and non-additive gene effect prevails.
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The productivity of sesame in Ethiopia is below the world average due to lack of high yielding improved varieties. Understanding of genetic variability of characters becomes essential. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the
extent of genetic variation among yield and 19 yield components. One hundred sesame genotypes were evaluated in 10x10 triple lattice design at Werer during 2017 and 2018. The combined analysis of variance showed that the genotypes differed significantly. Higher phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation were observed for shattering resistance, whereas plant height, number of capsules per plant, harvest index and seed yield showed medium values. High heritability coupled with moderate to high genetic advance were observed for shattering resistance, plant height, capsule per plant, harvest
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Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) used as fresh products and commercially processed foods such as French fries and chips.The objective of the experiment was to assess the nature and magnitude of variability in potato genotypes for tuber quality, yield and yield-related traits. Twenty four potato genotypes were evaluated at Holetta Agricultural Research Centre using a randomized complete block design with three replications during the growing season of 2017. The results of the analysis of variance indicated there was highly significant differences among the genotypes for all traits excepted peel content. The phenotypic (PCV) and genotypic (GCV) coefficient of variation ranged between 0.90 to 46.43% and 0.75 to 40.0%. Heritability in the broad sense (H2) and genetic advance as percent of the mean (GAM) ranged from 38.13 to 91.64% and 1.28 to 73.50%. High phenotypic coefficients of variation and genotypic coefficients of variation coupled with high heritability and genetic advance as percent of mean were observed for shoot dry mass weight, average tuber number, average tuber weight, unmarketable tuber yield, small size tuber and large size tubers. Therefore, selection for these characters would be effective for the emerging processing industry and could be selected as parents for future crossing program in Ethiopia.
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This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
2. Lukuyu et al. (2011), it is very important to understand the chemical
composition and utilization information of locally available feeds
for their inclusion into livestock feeding regimens. However, there
is limited information on agronomic characteristics, productivity,
management practices and chemical composition of locally avail-
able desho grass in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was conducted to
evaluate the effects of altitude and harvesting date on the
morphological fractions, chemical composition and yield of desho
grass.
Materials and methods
Description of the experimental sites
The agronomic component of this study was conducted in two
agro-ecologies (mid altitude and high altitude) using a rain fed
system. The mid altitude area was represented by Andassa Live-
stock Research Center located at 112900 N and 372900 E at an
altitude of 1730 m above sea level. Farta District Office of
Agriculture (2014) provided summary climatic data for the area
which receives about 1434 mm of rainfall annually. Mean annual
temperature varies from a maximum of 29.5 C to a minimum of
8.8 C. The soil type is dark clay and seasonally waterlogged with
3.4% organic matter, 0.17% total nitrogen and pH of 6.9. The high-
land area was represented by Farta district, Tsegure Eyesus Kebele
(Kebele is the local administration in Ethiopia) at a site called Melo
located near Debre Tabor Town, at 1111' N and 38E and at an
altitude of 2650 m above sea level. The soils of Melo site are
characterized by clay and sand mixture with chemical composition
of 2.26% organic matter, 0.11% total nitrogen and pH of 5.47. The
mean annual rainfall is about 1570 mm and the mean maximum
and minimum annual temperatures were reported to be 21.5 C
and 9.6 C respectively.
Land preparation, planting and experimental design
A total area of 88 m2
was selected from each of the two loca-
tions. The land was ploughed in May and harrowed in June 2014.
The land was divided into three blocks each of which comprised
three plots (3 m 6 m each). Desho grass obtained from Southern
Nationals and Nationalities by the CASCAPE (capacity building for
scaling up of evidence-based best practices in agricultural pro-
duction in Ethiopia) project was planted in rows using root splits on
a well-prepared soil. The grass was planted in June 2014 and lasted
until December 2014 for the experimental period of five months.
The experiment was laid-out in a factorial arrangement of two al-
titudes (mid and high) and three harvesting dates (90 d, 120 d and
150 d) in a randomized complete block design with three replica-
tions. The spacing between rows and plants was 50 cm and 10 cm,
respectively. Land preparation, planting, weeding and harvesting
were undertaken according to the recommendations of Leta et al.
(2013). Artificial fertilizers (di-ammonium phosphate at 100 kg/
ha and urea at 25 kg/ha) were applied during planting and after
establishment. After planting, weed control and related manage-
ment practices were applied according to standard practice for the
grass.
Data collection
Morphological parameters consisting of plant height and leaf
length were measured from 10 plants that were randomly selected
from middle rows of each plot at 90 d, 120 d and 150 d after
planting at both locations. The numbers of tillers and leaves were
computed as mean counts taken from 10 plants that were randomly
selected from middle rows of each plot at 90 d,120 d and 150 d after
planting at both locations. The re-growth date (time required in
days for full vegetative development after harvest) was recorded
after harvesting at 90 d, 120 d and 150 d in each plot. The leaf-to-
stem ratio was determined by harvesting all plants in two
consecutive rows, randomly selected in the middle of each plot and
separating these plants into stem and leaf. Harvesting was done by
hand using a sickle leaving a stubble height of 8 cm according to
recommended practice (Leta et al., 2013). Soon after first harvest,
for each of the three harvesting dates, a follow-up study was made
to determine the re-growth potential and subsequent harvesting. A
fresh herbage yield of desho grass was measured immediately after
each harvest using a portable balance with a sensitivity of 0.01 g.
Representative samples were taken from each plot at each site and
were dried in a draft oven at 65 C for 72 h before being sent to the
laboratory for chemical analysis.
Chemical analysis
The chemical analysis and in vitro organic matter digestibility
were determined at the International Livestock Research Institute
(ILRI) Animal Nutrition Laboratory, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Samples
were dried in an oven at 60 C for 48 h, ground and passed through
a 1 mm sieve. Ash/organic matter (OM), dry matter (DM) and crude
protein (CP) were determined according to Association of
Analytical Chemists (1990). The neutral detergent fiber (NDF),
acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) were
determined according to Van Soest and Robertson (1985). In vitro
organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) was determined according to
Tilley and Terry (1963). The metabolizable energy (ME) was esti-
mated from digestible energy (DE) and in vitro organic matter di-
gestibility (IVOMD), based on the National Research Council (2001)
formula using the following steps:
First, DE was obtained using Equation (1):
DE ¼ ½0:01 ðOM=100Þ ðIVOMD þ 12:9Þ 4:4 0:3 (1)
where DE is the digestible energy in calories, OM is the organic
matter and IVOMD is the in vitro organic matter digestibility in
joules.
Then, ME ¼ 0.82 DE (Mcal/kg) was calculated and converted
to SI units (MJ/kg) by multiplying by 4.184.
Data analysis
Pearson correlation analysis was performed to determine the
association between plant parameters with selected nutritional
parameters of the grass. The mathematical model in Equation (2)
was applied to analyze the effect of all possible factors in the two
sets of analysis:
gij ¼ m þ AiþHj þ ðA HÞij þ εij (2)
where Yijk is the response (plant morphological parameters,
chemical composition, yield and in vitro organic matter digestibility
of desho grass) at each altitude and harvesting period, m ¼ overall
mean, Ai is the altitude (i ¼ mid and high), Hj is the effect of har-
vesting period (j ¼ 90 d,120 d and 150 d), (A H)ij is the interaction
between altitude and harvesting period and εijk is the residual error.
The data were analyzed using the general linear model (GLM) of
Statistical Analysis System (2002). Turkey's honest significant test
was employed for separation of treatment means at the p 0.05
level.
B. Asmare et al. / Agriculture and Natural Resources 51 (2017) 148e153 149
3. Results
Effect of altitude and harvesting dates on plant morphological
characteristics and length re-growth days of desho grass
Table 1 presents the effect of altitude and harvesting date on
plant morphological characteristics and re-growth potential of
desho grass. Except for leaf length per plant (LLPP), other plant
characteristics were not significantly affected by altitude and har-
vesting date. The number of days required for re-growth was
significantly affected by altitude where a relatively shorter duration
(17.78 d) was observed at mid altitude compared to the longer
duration (20.00 d) observed at high altitude. Plant height is an
important parameter contributing to yield in forage crops (Tessema
et al., 2002). Mean plant height was low in early stages of growth,
but for harvesting after 120 d, enhanced growth was observed.
Altitude had no significant effect on number of tillers but har-
vesting date significantly affected number of tillers per plant. The
largest number of tillers (50.92) was observed at later (150 d) stage
of harvest while early harvesting (90 d) showed a relatively low
(40.75) number of tillers per plant. The number of leaves per plant
was significantly affected by harvesting date. The highest number
of leaves per plant (336.33) was observed at late stage of harvesting
(150 d) while lowest number (274.33) was observed at early stage
(90 d) of harvesting. Leaf-to-stem ratio was significantly affected
due to harvesting date; however, altitude had no significant effect
on the ratio. Early harvesting (90 d and 120 d) resulted in signifi-
cantly higher leaf-to-stem ratios compared to the late harvesting
date (150 d). Intermediate harvesting date also resulted in a higher
(p 0.01) leaf-to-stem ratio than for plants harvested at 150 d. The
number of days required for full re-growth was significantly
affected by altitude and harvesting period. Desho grass required
relatively less time (17.78 d) at mid altitude than at higher altitude
which required relatively more time (20.01 d) to reach full vege-
tative growth.
Effect of altitudes and harvesting dates on chemical composition, dry
matter yield and in vitro organic matter digestibility of desho grass
The effects of altitude and harvesting date on chemical
composition, DM and CP yield and IVOMD of desho grass are shown
in Table 2. There was a significant difference between the DM
content of desho grass attributed to the difference in altitude, while
there was significant difference between the DM content of desho
grass attributed to the difference in harvesting date. Desho grass
harvested at 150 d after planting produced a significantly higher
DM content compared with grass harvested at 90 and 120 d.
Significant differences in dry matter yield due to harvesting
period were recorded, however, there was no significant difference
due to altitude. The total dry matter of the longest harvesting
period (150 d) was the highest (20.75 t/ha), whereas the lowest dry
matter yield (12.71t/ha) was produced from the shortest harvesting
period (90 d). There were significant effects of altitude and har-
vesting period on CP content of desho grass which significantly
decreased with increasing age of plants. Highest CP content (9.38%)
was obtained at 90 d harvest and the lowest (6.9.3%) at 150 d
harvest. The CP content was significantly different between mid
and high altitude sites with the higher (9.38%) amount recorded at
mid altitude and the lower amount (7.33%) at high altitude.
Neutral detergent fiber and ADF were significantly affected by
altitude and harvesting period. The NDF content was higher for
desho grass planted at mid altitude (76.0%) than at high altitude
(73.5%). The NDF content of grass was highest (77.68%) from late
harvesting (150 d after planting) while it was comparatively lower
for earlier harvesting periods (72.78% at 90 d and 73.96% at 120 d).
Similarly, grass planted at mid altitude had a slightly higher ADF
(43.7%) than that planted at high altitude (41.29%). Desho grass
harvested at 150 d after planting had a higher ADF (45.06%) than for
samples harvested at 90 d and 120 d after planting (40.27% and
42.15%, respectively). The ADL fraction was not significantly affected
by altitude and harvesting date, but showed numerical variation.
The ADL increased from 4.61% to 5.95% when harvested at 90 and
150 d, respectively. The Ca content was not significantly affected by
altitude but differed due to harvesting date with significantly high
Ca observed for earlier harvesting periods (90 d and 120 d). Phos-
phorus content was significantly affected by altitude but not by
harvesting period, with a higher level of P (2.86 g/kg DM) recorded
at higher altitude than at mid altitude (2.34 g/kg DM).
Correlation analysis of morphological and nutritional parameters in
desho grass
Simple linear bivariate correlation analysis among the
morphological, quality, yield and IVOMD parameters of desho grass
is presented in Table 3. The DM content and DMY were positively
correlated to PH, LLPP, NDF, ADF and with each other, but negatively
correlated (p 0.05) to LSR. Crude protein content was positively
correlated to CPY. Neutral detergent fiber content was positively
correlated with ADF while it was negatively correlated with LSR
and P. Acid detergent fiber was positively correlated with NLPP,
LLPP, and LSR while it was negatively correlated with P content. The
NTPP was positively correlated to NLPP and re-growth dates (RGD).
PH was positively correlated to NLPP, LLPP, DM, DMY, ADF and ADL
but negatively correlated to P content. NLPP was positively corre-
lated to ADF, ADL and RGD but it was negatively correlated to LSR.
LLPP was positively correlated to DM, DMY, CPY and ADF but it was
negatively correlated to P. LSR was positively correlated to the fiber
fractions (NDF, ADF and ADL), Ca and P but negatively correlated to
DMY, CPY and NDF. The total ash (TA) content was positively
correlated to mineral fractions (Ca and P).
Discussion
The higher mean leaf length per plant (28.98 cm) at mid altitude
compared to high altitude (21.81 cm) may be attributed to a com-
plex phenomenon controlled by a number of environmental factors
such as temperature, precipitation and soil characteristics (Paking
and Hirata, 1999).
The larger number of leaves recorded at mid altitude may be due
to environmental conditions more suitable for the grass at mid
altitude compared to high altitude. A greater leaf length was
recorded for later harvesting (150 d) than for the earlier periods
Table 1
Effect of altitude and time to harvest on mean plant morphological characteristics
and number of re-growth days of desho grass.
Parameter*
PH (cm) NTPP NLPP LLPP (cm) LSR RGD(d)
Factor
Altitude
Mid 94 48 310 29ay
1.08 17.78b
High 87 50 312 22b
1.06 20.00a
Days to harvest
90 71b
41b
274b
20b
1.24a
17.00b
120 94a
51a
322ab
27ab
1.17a
18.83ab
150 106a
54a
336a
29a
0.82b
20.83a
Mean 91 49 311 25 1.07 18.89
SD 18.36 9.15 39.75 7.47 0.22 2.47
*
PH ¼ plant height, NTPP ¼ number of tillers per plant, NLPP ¼ number of leaves per
plant, LLPP ¼ leaf length per plant, LSR ¼ leaf to stem ratio, RGD ¼ re-growth date,
SD ¼ standard deviation; y
Mean values followed by a different lowercase super-
script letter in the same column are statistically significant at p 0.05.
B. Asmare et al. / Agriculture and Natural Resources 51 (2017) 148e153
150
4. (90 d and 120 d). This result is contrary to reports for other species
of grasses in which the leaf length was reported to decrease as the
result of stem development at a later stage of harvesting (Boonman,
1993; Wijitphan et al., 2009). Moreover, this might have been due
to the differences between the physiological changes of plants
observed during the growing periods (Alemu et al., 2007). The
higher leaf-to-stem ratio observed at the two earlier stages of
harvesting (90 d and 120 d) compared to the later stage of har-
vesting (150 d) might have been due to reduction in leaf proportion
and an increase in the stem fraction of the grass at the advanced
stage of harvesting (Butt et al., 1993). Such observations were also
reported by Van Soest (1982) and Seyoum et al. (1998) for tropical
forage grasses. The relatively long period of re-growth at high
altitude may be attributed to lower temperature and soil nutrient
variation on the two experimental sites.
The DM content increased with delayed harvesting because of
decreased moisture content in leaves as the plants aged and
became lignified. This result is in agreement with other studies
(Berihun, 2005; Alemu et al., 2007) for other types of grasses. The
studies reported that the DM content of grasses increased with an
increase in growth and development of plants and longer time to
harvest. The highest total DM yield observed at the last harvest
stage (150 d) was in agreement with Leta et al. (2013) who indi-
cated that the time of harvesting had a high influences on dry
matter yield. Yield increment might have been due to additional
tillers developed which increased leaf formation, leaf elongation
and stem development (Crowder and Chheda, 1982). The highest
yield of forage for the longest cutting intervals could also be
attributed to the favorable rainfall, temperature and available
nutrient in the soil over the extended growing period of the grass in
the study area. The significant increase in dry matter yield with
advancing age of plants was in agreement with Yasin et al. (2003)
and Tessema and Alemayehu (2010) for cultivated grasses and
Feyissa et al. (2014) for natural pasture, in Ethiopia.
The mean CP content (8.35%) was higher than in reports for the
same species (6.5%) in other countries (Waziri et al., 2013; Heuze
and Hassoun, 2015). Furthermore, the mean CP content of desho
grass in the current experiment was within the range (5.9e13.8%)
reported for Pennisetum species (Napier grass) by Kanyama et al.
(1995) and Kahindi et al. (2007). The CP content was similar to
most Ethiopian dry forage and roughage which have a CP content of
less than 9% (Seyoum and Zinash, 1989) which is the level required
for adequate microbial synthesis in the rumen (Agricultural
Research Council, 1980). Of the factors considered, the CP content
at mid altitude was higher (9.38%) than at high altitude (7.33%)
which may have been associated with differences in temperature,
precipitation and soil characteristics as reported by Daniel (1996)
where plant growth and quality were affected markedly by
Table 2
Mean chemical composition, yield and in vitro organic matter digestibility of desho grass.
Parameter measured*
DM (%) DMY (t/ha) OM (%) CP (%) CPY (t/ha) NDF (%) ADF (%) ADL (%) IVOMD (%) ME (MJ/kg) Ca (g/kg) P (g/kg)
Factor
Altitude
Mid 31.42ay
16.84 91.27a
9.38a
1.53a
76.03a
43.69a
5.49 44.81 6.23 3.96 2.34b
High 28.98b
14.62 88.29b
7.33b
1.04b
73.58b
41.28b
5.24 43.06 6.13 3.44 2.86a
Harvesting day
90 29.10 12.71b
89.12 9.38a
1.21 72.78b
40.27b
4.68 45.62 6.48 3.67a
2.69
120 29.40 13.73b
89.66 8.75ab
1.21 73.96b
42.15b
5.53 43.37 6.19 3.34a
2.57
150 31.99 20.75a
90.57 6.93b
1.44 77.68a
45.06a
5.95 42.85 5.87 3.07ab
2.53
Mean 30.16 15.73 89.78 8.35 1.28 74.81 42.49 5.36 43.94 6.18 3.70 2.59
SD 2.55 4.78 2.68 1.94 0.39 3.29 2.85 1.26 5.52 0.93 0.77 0.48
*
DM ¼ dry matter, DMY ¼ dry matter yield, CP ¼ crude protein, CPY ¼ crude protein yield, NDF ¼ neutral detergent fiber, ADF ¼ acid detergent fiber, ADL ¼ acid detergent
lignin, IVOMD ¼ in vitro organic matter digestibility, ME ¼ metabolizable energy, Ash ¼ ash content, Ca ¼ calcium, P ¼ phosphorous; y
Mean values followed by a different
lowercase superscript letter in the same column are statistically significant at p 0.05.
Table 3
Correlation coefficients among morphological parameters, chemical composition, yield and in vitro organic matter digestibility of desho grass.
Parametersa
DM DMY CP CPY NDF ADF ADL NTPP PH NLPP LLPP RGD LSR TA P Ca IVOMD ME
DM 1 0.67*b
0.05 0.47* 0.67* 0.68** 0.25 0.14 0.51* 0.32 0.68** 0.04 0.55* 0.32 0.59** 0.41 0.20 0.13
DMY 1 0.24 0.63 0.64* 0.78** 0.31 0.02 0.58* 0.46 0.48* 0.19 0.47* 0.17 0.37 0.35 0.11 0.02
CP 1 0.54* 0.03 0.12 0.08 0.12 0.07 0.14 0.28 0.61* 0.39 0.32 0.16 0.04 0.02 0.02
CPY 1 0.38 0.57* 0.14 0.13 0.44 0.22 0.56* 0.31 0.03* 0.42 0.44 0.24 0.05 0.14
NDF 1 0.72** 0.17 0.08 0.40 0.33 0.44 0.23 0.52* 0.19 0.52* 0.38 0.14 0.10
ADF 1 0.28 0.03 0.60** 0.47* 0.56* 0.16 0.49* 0.38 0.53* 0.38 0.01 0.08
ADL 1 0.09 0.55** 0.47* 0.45 0.23 0.42 0.24 0.04 0.31 0.24 0.21
NTPP 1 0.46 0.65* 0.28 0.70** 0.26 0.21 0.31 0.04 0.32 0.28
PH 1 0.72** 0.84** 0.28 0.50* 0.07 0.62** 0.43 0.29 0.17
NLPP 1 0.64* 0.64* 0.61* 0.16 0.46 0.41 0.17 0.11-
LLPP 1 0.05 0.41 0.21 0.63* 0.35 0.42 0.32
RGD 1 0.47* 0.28 0.04 0.03 0.23 0.23
LSR 1 0.08 0.41 0.52* 0.08 0.01
TA 1 0.56* 0.51* 0.33 0.37
P 1 0.66* 0.06 0.05
Ca 1 0.12 0.21
IVOMD 1 0.98**
ME 1
a
DMY ¼ dry matter yield, DM ¼ dry matter, DDMY ¼ digestible dry matter yield, CP ¼ crude protein, CPY ¼ crude protein yield, NDF ¼ neutral detergent fiber, ADF ¼ acid
detergent fiber, ADL ¼ acid detergent lignin, TA ¼ total ash, Ca ¼ calcium, P ¼ phosphorous, IVOMD ¼ in vitro organic digestibility, NLPP ¼ number of leaves per plant,
LLPP ¼ leaf length per plant, RGD ¼ re-growth date, NTPP ¼ number of tillers per plant, PH ¼ plant height.
b
Level of significance:** ¼ p 0.01,* ¼ p 0.05.
B. Asmare et al. / Agriculture and Natural Resources 51 (2017) 148e153 151
5. temperature and soil moisture conditions. Lignification of forage
appeared to occur almost constantly with increased harvesting
dates. However, results of the current study were contrary to those
of other studies (Whiteman, 1980; Yihalem et al., 2005; Bayable
et al., 2007) who reported that lignin content increases when
harvesting date is delayed. This might have been due to, there is a
greater demand for structural tissue as a result of greater propor-
tion of stem that has higher structural carbohydrates (cellulose and
hemicelluloses) and lignin as the plant grows for a longer period.
The upper leaves produced by older plants appear to be more
lignified than leaves produced earlier (Whiteman, 1980).
Phosphorous and calcium are the most important nutrients
required for animals (McDonald et al., 2010). The P content at mid
altitude (2.86 g/kg) was significantly higher than at high altitude
(2.32 g/kg), which may have been due to the variation in soil
characteristics and climate which determine the uptake of soil
nutrients by plants (Begum et al., 2015). Harvesting period had no
significant effect on P content. The highest value (2.69 g/kg)
recorded at the earliest stage of harvesting (90 d) and the lowest
(2.53 g/k) recorded at the latest stage of harvesting (150 d), might
have been due to the translocation of P to the root parts of herbage
as described by Crowder and Chheda (1982). The information ob-
tained from this study was in agreement with Kariuki et al. (1999)
who reported that P content in grass declined with advancing
stages of cutting. The Ca and P values in the current study were
comparable to those reported by Heuze and Hassoun (2015) for the
same species. The values of Ca for all harvesting periods were
higher than the minimum critical level of Ca for beef cattle
(0.18e1.04%) according to National Research Council (1984).
The ME content was not significantly affected by either harvesting
period or altitude. The ME and IVOMD were not affected by harvesting
period unlike in other reports (Fleming, 1973; McDonald et al., 2010)
which indicated that energy content and digestibility decreased in
later stages of harvest due to higher accumulation of cell wall com-
ponents in plant tissue leading to a decrease in digestibility of the
plant. The mean ME content (6.18 MJ/kg) of desho grass was compa-
rable to other findings for the same species (Heuze and Hassoun,
2015). The ME content of desho grass was lower than in Bana grass
(9.83 M/kg DM) reported by Berihun (2005) and Napier grass (greater
than 9 MJ/kg DM) as reported by Tessema and Alemayehu (2010)
which may be associated with environmental and species differences.
The positive association of DM and DMY with morphological
parameters (plant height and leaf length per plant) may result from
better competition for radiant energy with extended days to har-
vest. A similar correlation was observed in another study (Hunter,
1980). LSR is an important factor associated with digestibility
(Yasin et al., 2003) and had a strong negative correlation to plant
height, leaf length per plant, DM, DMY, CPY, NDF and ADF in the
current study. The direct relationship between leaf-to-stem ratio
and CP content, and the inverse association of leaf-to-stem ratio
and fiber content were also previously observed by Tessema et al.
(2002)for Napier grass. A positive correlation was observed be-
tween CP content and CPY, NDF and ADF which was contrary to
other findings (Yihalem et al., 2005; Bayable et al., 2007) where a
positive correlation among such parameters was reported. This
discrepancy may have been related to differences in location, spe-
cies of grass and plant management.
Most of the morphological and nutritional qualities of desho
grass were greatly affected by harvesting period rather altitude.
Similarly, DM yield and chemical composition of the grass was
much affected by harvesting period rather than altitude. The cur-
rent study revealed that desho grass performed well both at mid
and high altitudes in Ethiopia. Overall, desho grass had a higher
biomass yield and better chemical composition than natural
pasture. Therefore, it can be concluded that it has potential as an
alternative ruminant feed in mid and high altitude areas in
Ethiopia. To fully utilize the potential of desho grass, further studies
on agronomic and nutritional evaluation involving live-animal
experiments are recommended.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests in
publication of this paper.
Acknowledgment
The authors would like to thank CASCAPE for introducing desho
grass splits to the Amhara Region. Appreciation goes to the Andassa
Livestock Research Center and Farta District Office of Agriculture for
allowing the use of land for experiments. Financial assistance from
the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas
(ICARDA) for the fieldwork and laboratory analysis of samples is
highly acknowledged.
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