Desho grass ( Pennisetum pedicellatum ) varieties adaptation trial in highland areas of the North Shewa Zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Abstract The experiment was conducted in highland areas of the Kuyu site, Girar Jarso and Wachale districts of the North Shewa Zone, Oromia region. The objective of the experiment was to identify the adaptable and high biomass yield of Desho grass varieties. Accordingly, four Desho grass varieties, viz. Kindu Kosha DZF#591, Areka DZF#590, Kulumsa DZF#592 and Kindu Kosha DZF#589 were tested in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results of the combined analysis revealed that plant height was significantly ( P < 0.05) different between treatments. The highest plant height was obtained from Kulumsa DZF#592 (85.73 cm), followed by the Areka DZF No# 590 (82.71 cm) and Kindu Kosha DZF#589 (81.74 cm) varieties, while the shortest plant height was recorded from the Kindu Kosha DZF#591 (80.34 cm) variety. However, the plant height of the Desho grass varieties was significant when combined over time, and it was significantly different among the production years. On the other hand, the number of tillers per plant, number of leaves per plant, survival rate and dry matter yield (DM) showed significant ( P < 0.05) differences between treatments. The maximum DM yield (13.85 ton ha -1 ) was obtained from Kindu Kosha DZF#591, followed by Kulumsa DZF#592 (12.81 ton ha -1 ). The number of nodes per plant, internodes length and leaf-to-stem ratio did not vary significantly among the Desho grass varieties. The chemical composition, crude protein yield, Ash, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) contents were not significantly ( P > 0.05) different among the Desho grass varieties except for dry matter percent. Generally, the varieties Kindu Kosha DZF#591 and Kulumsa DZF#592 have comparable performances for most measured traits in the North Shewa Zone, Oromia. Therefore, Kindu Kosha DZF#591 and Kulumsa DZF#592 varieties of Desho grass were recommended for livestock producers in the North Shewa Zone, Oromia.