EFFECT oF SEEDING RATIO, SOWING METHOD AND NITROGEN LEVEL ON THE GROWTH OF RHODES GRASS (Caloris gayana cv Callide)/ GTYLO (Stylosanthes guianensis cv Cook) MIXTURE IN NOTHERN NIGERIA
EFFECT oF SEEDING RATIO, SOWING METHOD AND NITROGEN LEVEL ON THE GROWTH OF RHODES GRASS (Caloris gayana cv Callide)/ GTYLO (Stylosanthes guianensis cv Cook) MIXTURE IN NOTHERN NIGERIA
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Date
1982-12
Authors
ONIFADE, OLUFEMI
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Abstract
The effect of seven grass/legume seeding ratios
(10:0, 7:3, 6:4, 5:5, 4:6, 3:7 and 0:10), three sowing
methods (i) grass and legume drilled in alternate rows,
30cm apart (ii) grass and legume mixed and broadcast
(iii) grass and legume mixed and drilled within the
same rows, 30 cm apart) and three arates of nitrogen
application (0, 100 and 200 kg N/ha) on the growth of
Rhodes grass (Chloris qayana cv Callide)/Stylo
(Stylosanthes quianensis cv Cook) swards was studied in
two experiments between 1979 and 1980 at Shika, in the
Northern Guinea Savanna Zone of Nigeria.
In experiment I, the grass:legume seeding ratio
used strongly influenced dry matter yield of the grass
and legume components. The grass dry matter yield for
the grass:legume seeding ratio 3:7 to 10:0 (pure grass
sward) varied from 3.46t to 4.35t/ha in 1979 and 5.40t
to 7.16t/ha in 1980, For the legume component, the
seeding ratio of 7:3 to 0:10 (pure legume sward)
produced 0.81t to 4.25t/ha in 1979 compared with 1.50t
to 4.24t/ha in 1980. The mixed sward was clearly more
productive than the sole grass or legume sward.
Broadcast seeding resulted in higher dry matter yields
than drilling. Over the two-year period, the highest
mean dry matter yield of 7.4t/ha was obtained from the
seeding ratio 3:7/broadcast seed combination.
Crude protein (CP) contents of the grass were
higher while those of the legume were slightly lower
in 1980, Whereas percentage CP increased as the
proportion of legume seeded increased, sowing method
did not exert any influence. The data suggested that
nitrogen from the legume might have been utilized by
the associated grass.
Nitrogen fertilization of a grass/legume sward
increased total and grass but markedly reduced legume
dry matter yields in experiment II, Application of
nitrogen in July gave the highest and application in
September the lowest yield with the sward growth
uninterrupted. However, for the cut sward, nitrogen
applied immediately after harvesting in August resulted
in the highest dry matter yield. Herbage crude protein
content increased with rise in nitrogen level and fell
with deferment of cutting.
The need to further investigate the effect of
different seeding ratios on the performance of the more
promising and compatible native/introduced grasses and
legumes was suggested.
Description
A Thesis Submitted to
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Department of Animal Science
Faculty of Agriculture
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
December, 1982.
Keywords
EFFECT,, SEEDING,, RATIO,, SOWING,, METHOD,, NITROGEN,, LEVEL,, GROWTH,, RHODES,, GRASS,, (Caloris gayana cv Callide)/GTYLO, (Stylosanthes guianensis cv Cook), MIXTURE,, NOTHERN,, NIGERIA.