Growth and Yield Response of Signal Grass (Brachiaria decumbens Stapf) Applied with Different Rates of Nitrogen Fertilizer

Abstract

Application of fertilizers is essential to sustain the yield of forage crops, hence, this study was conducted to: 1) evaluate the effect of different nitrogen fertilization rates on the growth and yield of signal grass and 2) determine the appropriate nitrogen fertilization rate for optimum production of signal grass. It was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications and five treatments (T0 – Unfertilized, T1 – 30 kg N ha-1; T2 – 60 kg N ha-1; T3 – 90 kg N ha-1 and T4 – 120 kg N ha-1). The plant height, number of tillers hill-1, fresh herbage yield and dry matter yield of signal grass were significantly affected by the different rates of nitrogen fertilizer. Increasing the levels of N fertilization correspondingly improved its overall performance with plants applied with 120 kg N ha-1 having the tallest, most number of tillers and heaviest fresh herbage and dry matter yields among fertilized plants. However, the appropriate fertilization rate for optimum production was 90 kg N ha-1 as the aforementioned parameters were comparable to that of the higher rate yet of lower amount of N fertilizer needed resulting in lower production cost and higher income.