Elephant grass ( Pennisetum purpureum ) varieties adaptation trial at North Shewa Zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Abstract The experiment was conducted in two districts, viz. (Kuyu and Wara Jarso) of the North Shewa Zone, Oromia region. Therefore, this study was initiated to evaluate the adaptability, dry matter yield and chemical composition of four elephant ( Pennisetum purpureum ) grass varieties in the North Shewa Zone. Accordingly, four elephant grass varieties, viz. Bako#04 (16804), Bako#01 (16801), Zehone#03 (16819), and Zehone#02 (16791) were tested in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The data collected were analyzed using R Software, and the results of the combined analysis revealed that plant height, number of tillers, and dry matter yield were significantly (P<0.05) different between treatments. The variety Zehone#02 (88.50 cm) had the highest mean plant height, while the variety Bako#01 had the lowest plant height (66.89 cm). The highest (p<0.05) dry matter yield (12.27 ton ha -1 ) was recorded for the Zehone#02 variety, whereas the lowest dry matter yield (10.70 ton ha -1 ) was recorded for the Zehone#03 variety. The number of nodes per plant varied, whereas internodes length and leaf-to-stem ratio did not vary significantly among elephant grass varieties. The analysis results showed non-significant (P>0.05) difference for DM, Ash, and NDF, whereas significant variation was observed in most parameters, including CP, ADF, ADL, IVDMD, DODM and ME. The elephant grass variety Bako#04 (16804) showed better CP (11.37%) content, followed by Zehone#02 (16791) (10.54%). Therefore, the Bako#04 (16804) and Zehone#02 (16791) varieties of elephant grass are recommended for livestock producers in the North Shewa Zone, Oromia.