Abstract
Growth characteristics, biomass yield and mineral concentrations were evaluated in a completely randomized design study of 7 Napier grass varieties. Data on tiller number per plant, plant height, leaf length, leaf width, stem diameter, leaf:stem ratio and dry matter (DM) yield, as well as concentrations of nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese and iron, were obtained at 2 months growth. The growth characteristics, DM yields and mineral concentrations (except phosphorus) varied significantly (P<0.01) among varieties. The variety Indian was tallest (221 cm) and produced the highest DM yield (6.3 t/ha), whereas Dwarf had the highest tiller number and leaf:stem ratio. Purple had the longest and Taiwan and Indian the widest leaves. Kobe, Pakchong and Purple had the greatest stem diameter. Concentrations of Ca, K and Na were greatest in Zanzibar, while Dwarf had the highest concentrations of N, Zn, Mn and Fe. Studies beyond the establishment phase over a range of seasons and in a range of environments at different ages of harvest are needed to confirm the merits of different Napier grass varieties in the study zone.
Highlights
Ruminant livestock obtain their mineral requirements from concentrates and/or roughage sources, depending on the feeding circumstances
This difference might reflect an effect of age and cutting frequency, because the results of the current study were obtained at the first cutting following planting
The average plant height (PH) for the 6 taller varieties in the present study was 192 cm, which contrasts with the average PH of 55.7 cm for 12 varieties in Kenya reported by Nyambati et al (2010)
Summary
Ruminant livestock obtain their mineral requirements from concentrates and/or roughage sources, depending on the feeding circumstances. Obtaining mineral requirements from roughage sources is preferable, since roughage is usually less expensive than concentrates. Napier grass is one of the most widely used forages for ruminants in developing countries, including Malaysia, because of its high biomass yield and ease of propagation (Halim et al 2013). A number of varieties of Napier grass are cultivated, including Zanzibar, Indian, Kobe and Taiwan, and these different types vary in morphology, dry matter (DM) yield and nutritive value (Halim et al 2013). Little information has been published regarding the mineral composition of forage from various Napier grass varieties. The objective of this study was to investigate the growth characteristics and mineral composition of 7 varieties of Napier grass, as a guide for subsequent studies
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