EFFECT OF PLANTING SPACE AND HARVESTING HEIGHT OF DESHO GRASS (PENNISETUM GLAUCIFOLIUM hOCHST. EX A. RICH) FOR FORAGE YIELD AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF IN BENESHANGUL GUMUZ REGION, WESTERN, ETHIOPIA.

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of planting space and harvesting height on morphological characteristics, biomass yield and nutritive value of desho grass at Asossa Agriculture Research Center during 2021 and 2022 cropping season. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) in 4 x 3 factorial arrangement with three replications. The factors of the treatments were four planting space (20, 30, 40 and 50 cm), three harvesting heights (40, 60 and 80cm). Data on agronomic characteristics, forage yield and chemical composition were collected at each harvesting height and analyzed using the general linear model (GLM) procedures of SAS Version (9.4), and Duncan Multiple Range Test (MRT) was used for mean comparison. Most of the measured parameters showed significant (P<0.05) difference among planting space and harvesting heights. The mean values of number of tillers per plant, number of leafs per plant, number of leafs per tillers, number of nodes per plant, leaf length, internode length, dry matter yield, crude protein yield, digestible dry matter yield, leaf dry matter yield and stem dry matter yield were significantly increased with increasing plant spacing and increment of harvesting height. Leaf to stem ratio, crude protein concentration, in vitro dry matter digestibility(IVDMD), relative feed value and ash content, increased with increasing plant spacing but decreased with increment of harvesting height. The chemical compositions interms of neutral detergent fiber(NDF), acid detergent fiber(ADF), and acid detergent lignin(ADL) were increased with increment of harvesting height and also affected by plant spacing. Based on the finding of this research, it can be concluded that utilization of 50 cm plant spacing combining with 80 cm height of harvesting could be used in cultivation of Desho grass to achieve higher at the most agronomic performance, crude protein yield, Digestible yield. Therefore, livestock keepers and forage producers are advised to apply a 50 cm plat spacing and harvest at 80cm height of harvesting to get better yield and to be profitable from the cultivation of Desho grass. Further investigation is needed using different plant spacing and harvesting height in different agro- ecological zones across years under rain fed and irrigation condition and using animal performance trials to confirm the present fining.