FRECUENCIA DE CORTE DE PASTO ELEFANTE MORADO Pennisetum purpureum Schumach

Abstract

In order to define the conditions of management of cuttings for the tropics and to verify the recoverability of the purple elephant (Pennisetum purpureum), the cutting frequency was evaluated in Popayan - Colombia, at 1780 masl, in low premontane humid forest (bh -PM). At the optimum cutting time, different ages of sprouts were evaluated for variables: vigor, plant height, green forage production, dry matter and incidence of pests and diseases, the nutritional quality, cost analysis and the growth curve was performed for the mentioned species, a randomized complete block experimental design, with 5 treatments and 4 replicates, was used, 20 experimental plots of 9 m2 were delimited, where the factor blocked Was the slope of the land as a presumption of variations in soil fertility through it. Each treatment corresponded to a different age of regrowth at the time of the cut, evaluating at 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 days of regrowth, corresponding to treatments T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 respectively. They were evaluated in two different seasons (Rain and dry). The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (P=0,05) and Duncan's test (SPSS V 15). It was concluded that the optimum cutting time of purple elephant grass is 70 days with a yield of 25,4 ton/Ms/ha/ year and 8% protein.