Farmers’ perceptions of climate change and its implication on livestock production in mixed-farming system areas of Bale highlands, Southeast Ethiopia; Challenges and extents of Soil and Water Conservation measures in Guba-Lafto Woreda of North Wollo, Ethiopia; Evaluation of milk production performance of lactating Fogera cows fed with urea and effective micro-organisms treated rice straw as basal diet.

E3 Journal of Agricultural Research and Development

E3 Journal of Agricultural Research and Development Vol. 5 (2) pp. 0120-0127, June 2015; © E3 Journals; ISSN 2276-9897


Biomass yield dynamics and nutritional quality of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cultivars at Debre Zeit, Ethiopia

Mekuanint Gashaw 1 * , Ashenafi Mengistu 1 , Diriba Gelti 1
1 Madawalabu university, School of Agriculture, Department of Animal and Range science, Bale Robe, Ethiopia
2 Addis Ababa University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia
3 Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia
*Corresponding Author E-mail: miky.gashew@gmail.com
Accepted 2 June 2015

Abstract

The cultivars were planted on 12 m2 plots (4 m long and 3 m wide) in randomized complete block design with four replications. The treatments were: FG10-09(F), FG9-09(F), Magna 801-FG(F), Magna 788 and Hairy Peruvian. The leaf and stem yield were determined by harvesting a central section of two adjacent middle rows with a sampling area of 0.2 m2 (0.5 m length x 0.4 m width). For forage quality analysis, four randomly selected adjacent middle rows with a net area of 3.2 m2 were harvested. The four replications were pooled into one and properly homogenized and one representative subsample was taken for each cultivar within each cutting cycle. The analysis of variance indicated that; interaction of cultivar and cutting cycle was not significant for leaf and stem yield and chemical composition of the cultivars (P>0.05). Similarly, cultivars effect was not significant (P>0.05) for leaf and stem yields. Magna 788, Hairy Peruvian and FG9-09(F) had higher leaf and stem yield respectively other than the rest cultivars. Cutting cycles had significant effect (P<0.05) on leaf and stem yield. The 8th cycle had higher leaf, stem and total DM yields followed by 7th cycle, while the rest cycles had intermediate and comparable values. On the contrary the leaf to stem ratio was lowest.The effect of cultivar for chemical composition was not significant (P ≥ 0.05). Cutting cycles had significant effect (P< 0.05) for acid detergent fiber, digestible dry matter and cellulose content. Cultivars had higher nutritional value and had lower biomass yield during drier season while higher during wetter season.

Keywords: Alfalfa, Leaf and stem yield, chemical composition

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