Herbage Yield and Nutritive Value of Selected Grasses in Subhumid Agroecological Environments in Ethiopia

Abstract

The introduction of improved forage varieties could play a crucial role in meeting the growing demand for livestock and livestock products in Ethiopia. However, different cultivars exhibit varied performance. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the performance of Brachiaria cultivars and other grass cultivars in two subhumid agroecological areas of Ethiopia. Four Brachiaria cultivars (B. brizantha (DZF-13379), B. humidicola (DZF-9222), B. decumbens (DZF-10871), and B. mutica (var. DZF-483), and two local grass cultivars, Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana var. Massaba) and Desho grass (Pennisetum glaucifolium var. Kindu Kosha), were evaluated in Bako and Bishoftu for three years during the rainy season. The experiment was carried out using a completely randomized block design. Results indicated that both cultivars and years had significant (P<0.001) effects on herbage dry matter (DM) yield, crude protein (CP) yield, and plant height, whereas location only affected DM yield. Significant cultivar × year interactions were observed for DM yield, CP yield, and plant height, while cultivar × location interactions had a significant effect on all parameters except for CP yield. Additionally, cultivars significantly (P<0.001) impacted the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) as well as the nutritional content (CP, ash, acid detergent lignin (ADL), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF). Overall, all cultivars demonstrated potential as alternative ruminant feeds, with B. mutica, followed by B. brizantha, showing superior performance in the subhumid agroecological areas of Ethiopia.