E3 Journal of Agricultural Research and Development
E3 Journal of Agricultural Research and Development Vol. 8 (1) pp. 014-020, March 2018; © E3 Journals; ISSN 2276-9897
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18685/EJARD(8)1_EJARD-18-012
Effects of variety and stage of grain maturity at harvest on the yield and quality of maize stover
Ashenafi Mengistu 11 Department of Animal Production, College of Veterinary Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia Email: mengistuashenafi@gmail.com
Accepted 2 January 2018
Abstract
A study was conducted to examine the effects of variety and stage of grain maturity at harvest on the yield and quality of maize stover obtained from 15 varieties sampled from three locations. There were significant vatrietal differences in the yield and quality of maize stover. However, there was no significant varietal effect on grain yield. On the other hand, the yield and quality of maize stover markedly deteriorates with increasing stage of grain maturity at harvest. The observed variations between the varieties in the measured feed related parameters but with no significant variation in grain yield indicate the possibility of manipulating some traits in the effort to improving the yield and quality of maize stover through breeding and/or selection without significantly affecting grain yield. Therefore, there is a need to work with animal nutritionists in the process of maize technology generation when targeting the mixed crop-livestock system of agricultural production. On the other hand, as the yield and quality of maize stover deteriorates as the stage of grain maturity increases, employing applicable system of feeding livestock on stover before the last stage of maturity is advisable.
Keywords: Maize, stage of harvest, stover quality, stover yield, variety
[Download Article - PDF]