Pennisetum Purpureum Research Articles

VEGETASI TAMAN URBAN SEBAGAI PENYEDIA PAKAN BAGI BEBERAPA TROPHIC GUILD BURUNG HERBIVORA: STUDI TAMAN LAPANGAN BANTENG, JAKARTA PUSAT

Vegetal food is the most important resource for herbivores. The study of food consumed by bird community in Indonesia, especially in urban environments is needed to provide an overview of the ability of City Parks to support bird communities. The aim was to determine the urban park vegetation in the Lapangan Banteng park as a potential food source for urban birds, especially frugivores, nectarivores and granivores. The study was conducted in September until December 2018 . Data were analyzed using Rstudio and ImageJ. The results showed that there were 7 species of birds consisting: four species of granivores (Passer montanus, Streptopelia chinensis, Lonchura punctulata, and Pycnonotus aurigaster) and three species of frugivores (Psittacula alexandri, Dicaeum trochileum, Treron vernans) which were observed to use plants as food resource Lapangan Banteng park. Birds used 30% of trees (Syzygium polyanthum, Melaleuca leucadendra, Ficus benjamina) and 70% of herbaceous ground cover (Arachis pintoi., Phoenix sp., Pennisetum purpureum, Axonopus compressus, Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus rotundus, and Eleusine indica). The availability of sufficient natural food in nature will have an impact on both bird conservation and the environment. The availability of natural food will improve bird conservation and ensure the sustainability of urban biodiversity.

Fabrication of untreated and silane-treated carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals and their reinforcement in natural rubber biocomposites

In this study, cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) was extracted from Napier grass stems and subsequently functionalized to carboxylated cellulose nanocrystal (XCNC) by using an environmentally friendly method, namely, the KMnO4/oxalic acid redox reaction. The XCNC was subsequently modified with triethoxyvinylsilane (TEVS), called VCNC, by using ultrasound irradiation. The characterization of the prepared XCNC and VCNC was performed. The needle-like shape of XCNC was observed with an average diameter and length of 11.5 and 156 nm, respectively. XCNC had a carboxyl content of about 1.21 mmol g−1. The silane treatment showed no significant effects on the diameter and length of XCNC. When incorporated into natural rubber (NR), both XCNC and VCNC showed very high reinforcement, as evidenced by the substantial increases in modulus and hardness of the biocomposites, even at very low filler loadings. However, due to the high polarity of XCNC, tensile strength was not significantly improved with increasing XCNC loading up to 2 phr, above which it decreased rapidly due to the filler agglomeration. For VCNC, the silane treatment reduced hydrophilicity and improved compatibility with NR. The highly reactive vinyl group on the VCNC’s surface also takes part in sulfur vulcanization, leading to the strong covalent linkages between rubber and VCNC. Consequently, VCNC showed better reinforcement than XCNC, as evidenced by the markedly higher tensile strength and modulus, when compared at an equal filler loading. This study demonstrates the achievement in the preparation of a highly reinforcing bio-filler (VCNC) for NR from Napier grass using an environmentally friendly method and followed by a quick and simple sonochemical method.

Potential of roots and shoots of Napier grass for arresting soil erosion and runoff of mollisols soils of Himalayas

In this study, a soil filled Hydraulic Tilting Flume (HTF) was used as a test plot under simulated rainfall conditions. This flume was filled with mollisols soils (sandy loam in texture) collected from tarai region of Himalayas. The effects of root and shoot characteristics of Napier grass in terms of leaf area index (LAI), shoot length (SL), number of leaves (NL), number of tillers (NT), shoot biomass (SB), root density (RD), root length (RL), root biomass (RB), and total biomass (TB) were investigated on runoff and sediment outflow at 90, 120 and 150 days after planting (DAP). Four simulated rainfall intensities namely 4.0, 6.5, 8.3 and 9.4 cm/h over three land slopes of 1, 2 and 3% were selected. Runoff samples collected from whole plant plot and only root plot were analyzed for runoff and sediment outflow. Findings revealed that Napier grasses were very effective to reduce runoff and sediment outflow and its efficacy increased with the extended growth stages. The reduction in runoff and sediment outflow at 90, 120 and 150 DAP was obtained as 56% and 85%, 68% and 90%, and 74% and 96%, respectively, as compared to bare plot conditions. It was observed that the comparative contribution of shoots in runoff rate reduction was higher than the roots. On the contrary, the root part of the plant showed more contribution in sediment rate reduction as compared to the shoot part. Step wise regression was attempted for the selection of effective input parameters to establish authentic runoff and sediment outflow models. Power form of multiple non-linear regression (MNLR) showed very satisfactory results for predicting runoff and sediment outflow with coefficient of determination (R2) as 97.4% and 99.0%, respectively, root mean square error (RMSE) as 38.8 cc/m2/min and 0.126 g/m2/min, respectively, and coefficient of efficiency (CE) as 93.9% and 96.7%, respectively, during testing period.

Synthesis and Characterization of Composite Film Based on Cellulose of Napier Grass Incorporated with Chitosan and Gelatine for Packaging Material

Synthesis and Characterization of Composite Film Based on Cellulose of Napier Grass Incorporated with Chitosan and Gelatine for Packaging Material

Morphological characterization of Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) ecotypes collected in Chiapas, Mexico

Objective: To characterize the morphology of 18 ecotypes of Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) in Chiapas. Design/Methodology/Approach: The morphological characterization was carried out with 34 quantitative and qualitative descriptors. A principal component analysis and a hierarchical cluster analysis were performed based on the average data. Results: In the principal component analysis, five of the principal components accounted for 70.7% of the total variability in the 18 ecotypes of Elephant grass. The variables that made the most significant contributions in each CP were: in CP1, internode diameter (p<0.01), internode length (p<0.05), color of internode without wax (p<0.01), number of innovations (p<0.01 ), prophylls (p<0.01), number of prophylls (p<0.01), external length of the sheath (p<0.01), internal length of the sheath at its opening point (p<0.01), opening of the auricle (p<0.01 ); for CP2, the number of visible internodes (p<0.05), channel width (p<0.05), size of innovations (p<0.05), adventitious root, number of internodes (p<0.01), wax under the sheath (p<0.05); and for CP3, number of visible internodes (p<0.05), color of the internode with wax (p<0.001), channel depth (p<0.001), ligule shape (p<0.05) and leaflet tip (p< 0.05). As a result of the hierarchical cluster analysis and the semipartial correlation coefficient, five morphologically distinct groups were determined. Study Limitations: A more accurate description of the morphological diversity of the grasses requires the characterization of the inflorescence and the spikelet. Findings/Conclusions: The 18 ecotypes of the Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) collected and characterized were dissimilar with each other; consequently, they are considered a genetic resource with potential importance as forage on the Chiapas coast.

Preliminary assessment of arbuscular mycorhizal inoculation in teak and napier grass agroforestry practice treated with soil amendments

Soil amendments are known to improve soil structure, increase moisture content, improve fertility and facilitate soil microbial functions. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of gypsum on colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizas in teak plantations planted as fences for napier grass. Teak seedlings were planted in October 2019 and divided into 4 blocks, A, B, C and D comprising 32 seedlings. Plots of A and C were treated with treatments of 3 kg of gypsum and 3 kg of compost (1:1), whereas B and D were control plots. NPK fertilizer was applied at every seedling at the rate of 0.05 kg for all blocks. Seedling heights and mean basal diameter (mm) were assessed at 9 months after planting. Soil samples for microbial study were taken before and after planting at 30 cm depth and screened for mycorrhizal spores and roots at the end of the experiment. Increased values for seedling heights and mean basal diameter (20-35%) were recorded for treatments B and C. Results pointed out that the amount of spore percentages were somewhat reduced in C and D and a slight increase was seen in treatments A and B. Root inoculation percentages in A and C were somewhat higher (1- 6%) as compared to B and D (0.5%). Early findings point out that application of gypsum and composts were not detrimental to the microbial population of arbuscular mycorrhiza as these treatments showed higher presence of hyphae and vesicles in fine roots and did not hamper physical growth. The role of soil amendments needs to be further investigated in terms of enhancing soil microbial population.

Effect of different dry matter content on fermentation characteristics and nutritional quality of Napier grass silage with novel lactic acid bacteria strains.

To investigate the characteristics of different LAB strains isolated from subtropics and their effects on Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) silage with two dry matter (DM) levels, sugar fermentation pattern, and growth profiles of three screened lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains [Pediococcus pentosaceus (PP04), Weissella cibaria (WC10), and Lactobacillus plantarum (LP694)] were characterized, and then used either individually or in combination at 1.0×106 cfu g-1 fresh weight to inoculate grass having 15% or 25% DM. Treatments were applied: (1) no inoculant (control); (2) PP04; (3) WC10; (4) LP694; (5) M-1 (PP04: WC10=2:1); (6) M-2 (PP04: LP694=1:2); (7) M-3 (WC10: LP694=2:1); (8) M-4 (PP04: WC10: LP694=2:1:1). The results showed that all inoculations increased LAB, DM recovery, and lactic acid (LA) concentration, while decreasing pH, the ammonia nitrogen/total nitrogen (NH3-N/TN), and butyric acid (BA) concentration compared to control group in both DM. However, the effect of inoculations was very limited at 15% DM. Silages with inoculants achieved higher silage quality at 25% DM than 15% DM. The different LAB inoculants result in significant differences in silage quality, while W. cibaria decreased the pH and inhibited the growth of undesirable bacteria and those characteristics were not affected by the DM content.

The effects of native lactic acid bacteria on the microbiome, fermentation profile, and nutritive value of Napier grass silage prepared with different legume ratios.

Mixing grass with legumes before ensiling is beneficial for improving dry matter and crude protein yield, but additional information is needed to balance nutrient content and fermentation quality. In this study, the microbial community, fermentation characteristics, and nutrient content of Napier grass mixed with alfalfa at different proportions were assessed. Tested proportions included: 100:0 (M0), 70:30 (M3), 50:50 (M5), 30:70 (M7), and 0:100 (MF). Treatments included: (CK) sterilized deionized water; (IN) selected lactic acid bacteria: Lactobacillus plantarum CGMCC 23166 and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CGMCC 18233 (1.5 × 105 cfu/g of fresh weight for each inoculant); and (CO) commercial lactic acid bacteria: L. plantarum (1 × 105 cfu/g of fresh weight). All mixtures were ensiled for 60 days. Data analysis was used as a completely randomized design with a 5-by-3 factorial arrangement of treatments. The results showed that with increasing alfalfa mixing ratio, dry matter, and crude protein increased, while neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber decreased both before and after ensiling (p < 0.05), which was not influenced by fermentation. Inoculation with IN and CO decreased pH and increased the lactic acid content compared to CK (p < 0.05), especially in silages M7 and MF. The highest Shannon index (6.24) and Simpson index (0.93) were observed in the MF silage CK treatment (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Lactiplantibacillus decreased with increasing alfalfa mixing ratio, while the abundance of Lactiplantibacillus was significantly higher in the IN-treated group than in other treatment groups (p < 0.05). A higher alfalfa mixing ratio improved the nutrient value, but also made fermentation more difficult. Inoculants improved the fermentation quality by increasing the abundance of Lactiplantibacillus. In conclusion, the groups M3 and M5 achieved the optimal balance of nutrients and fermentation. If a higher proportion of alfalfa needs to be used, it is recommended to use inoculants to ensure sufficient fermentation.

PENGGUNAAN BERBAGAI KOMPOS KOTORAN TERNAK TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN Pennisetum purpureum cv. Pakchong

Manure derived from cattle, chickens, and goats can be used as compost and has different nutrient content. The application of manure compost can improve soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties and thus increase plant growth and productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of various manure compost (cow, chicken, and goat) on the growth of elephant grass cv Pakchong (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Pakchong). The design used was a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 5 replications. The treatment is fertilizing using compost, namely P0= without compost, P1=cow manure compost, P2=chicken manure compost, and P3=goat manure compost. The observed variables were plant height, the number of leaves and tiller, and the dry weight of the leaves stem shoots and roots. The results showed that the use of manure compost had a significant effect (P&lt;0.05) on increasing the growth of elephant grass cv. Pakchong. Chicken manure compost produces the best growth of elephant grass cv. Pakchong which is seen from the plant height, the number of leaves and tiller, and the dry weight of the leaves, stems, and shoots.

Optimizing the grass bio methanation in lab scale reactor utilizing response surface methodology

Assessment of biogas production from Napier Grass (NG) in co-digestion with cattle dung (CD) was carried out in laboratory scale reactors and optimization using response surface methodology (RSM) and Box-Behnken design of the experiment. The effects of total alkalinity (TA), volatile solids (VS), pH, and volatile fatty acids (VFA) at three levels were investigated along with gas production. In this study, we determined the optimal ratio for biogas generation from NG and CD co-digestion. The three blending ratios were adopted as NG:CD (50:50), NG:CD (65:35), and NG:CD (75:25). The optimized result revealed that the highest generation of biogas was achieved at the blending ratio NG: CD (65:35) up to 0.4813 m3/kg VS. However, the significant value of R2 (0.9825) during RSM optimization highlighted that, the model might be effectively used to forecast the generation of biogas from the blending of CD and NG. The result shows that TA, VS, pH and VFA are essential for biogas production and the model algorithm could be applied extensively to estimate biogas generation from the co-blending of various organic biomasses. There is a good correlation between each parameter and the overall generation of biogas in the ANOVA results.

Assessment of pure, mixed and diluted deep eutectic solvents on Napier grass (Cenchrus purpureus): Compositional and characterization studies of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin

Pretreatment with pure, mixed, and diluted deep eutectic solvents (DESs) was evaluated for its effect on Napier grass through compositional and characterization studies. The morphological changes of biomass caused by pretreatment were analyzed by FTIR and XRD. The cellulose and hemicellulose content after pretreatment using mixed DES increased and decreased 1.29- and 4.25-fold, respectively, when compared to untreated Napier grass. The crystallinity index (CrI. %) of mixed DES sample increased due to the maximum removal of hemicellulose (76 %) and delignification of 62 %. The material costs of ChCl/FA and ChCl/LA for a single run are ≈2.16 USD and ≈1.65 USD, respectively. Pure DES showed that ChCl/LA pretreatment enhanced delignification efficiency and that ChCl/FA increased hemicellulose removal. It was estimated that a single run using ChCl/LA:ChCl/FA to achieve maximum hemicellulose and lignin removal would cost approximately ≈1.89 USD. Future work will evaluate the effect of DES mixture on enzyme digestibility and ethanol production from Napier grass. HypothesesDeep eutectic solvent (DES) pretreatment studies on the fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass have grown exponentially. The use of pure and diluted DES has been reported to improve saccharification efficiency, delignification, and cellulose retention (Gundupalli et al., 2022). These studies have reported maximum lignin removal but also a lower effect on hemicellulose removal from lignocellulosic biomass. It was hypothesized that mixing two pure DESs could result in maximum removal of hemicellulose and lignin after pretreatment. To our knowledge, no studies have been performed to investigate the efficiency of pretreatment using a DES mixture and compared the outcome with pure and diluted DESs. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that using two pure DESs in a mixed form could lower the material cost for each experimental run. Process efficiency was determined by compositional, XRD, and FTIR analysis. Avenues for future research include determining glucose and ethanol yields during the enzymatic saccharification and fermentation processes.

Tropical tree foliage supplementation in ruminants improves rumen fermentation and the bacterial profile and decreases methane production

The main of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation of tropical tree foliage in ruminant diets on the in vitro fermentation, bacterial population, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and enteric CH4 production. Seven experimental diets were evaluated: a control treatment of Pennisetum purpureum (T7) and six treatments of P. purpureum supplemented (30%) with the foliage of Neomillspaughia emargiata (T1), Tabernaemontana amygdalifolia (T2), Caesalpinia gaumeri (T3), Piscidia piscipula (T4), Leucaena leucocephala (T5), and Havardia albicans (T6). The T2, T7, and T5 treatments had the highest (p < 0.05) digestibility of dry matter. Overall, supplementation increased (p < 0.05) the concentrations of propionic and butyric acid and decreased acetic acid. Methanogenic bacteria decreased (p < 0.05) in T1, T2, T5, and T6. Ruminococcus albus decreased in T1, T2, T3, and T5 and Selenomonas ruminiantum increased in T3. Fibrobacter succinogenes increased, except in T5. Methane production decreased (p < 0.05) in T1, T4, T5, and T6. The supplementation with Leucaena leucocephala, Tabernaemontana amygdalifolia, Neomillspaughia emargiata, Piscidia piscipula, Havardia albicans, and Caesalpinia gaumeri is a potential alternative nutritional strategy for ruminants that results in positive changes in VFAs profile, a decrease on CH4 production and methanogenic bacteria, and changes on fibrolytic and non-fibrolytic bacteria composition. HIGHLIGHTS Tropical tree foliage supplementation increased propionic and butyric acid and decreased acetic acid concentrations. Fibrolytic, non-fibrolytic, and Methanogenic bacteria were selectively modulated with the supplementation of tropical tree foliage. The enteric methane (CH4) production decreased with the supplementation of tree foliage. The supplementation of Tabernaemontana amygdalifolia and Leucaena leucocephala had the highest digestibility and is a potential alternative nutritional strategy for ruminants.

Potential of Intercropping Pennisetum purpureum Schum with Melia azedarach L. and Broussonetia papyrifera for Phytoremediation of Heavy-metal Contaminated Soil around Mining Areas

In order to study the potential of intercropping Pennisetum purpureum Schum with Melia azedarach L. and Broussonetia papyrifera for phytoremediation of heavy-metal contaminated soil around mining areas, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of intercropping on plant biomass, heavy metal accumulation, dynamic changes in heavy metal content in soil solution, and response characteristics of the rhizosphere microbial community. The results indicated that the shoot biomass of P. purpureum and M. azedarach from their intercropping system (KX) was increased by 26.5% and 13.2%, respectively, and the shoot biomass of B. papyrifera from the intercropping system of P. purpureum and B. papyrifera (GX) was increased by 13.5% compared with their corresponding monoculture systems. The shoot Cd content of M. azedarach in the KX treatment was significantly increased by 24.9% (P<0.05), and their Cd and Pb accumulation in shoots were also significantly increased. The shoot contents and accumulations of Cd and Pb from P. purpureum in the GX treatment were significantly increased; however, those in B. papyrifera shoots were decreased. The total accumulations of Cd and Pb in each pot from intercropping systems were higher than that from the monoculture treatment, with that from the KX treatment being the highest at 1065 μg·pot-1. During the 150-day cultivation process, the pH value and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content in the soil solution under the intercropping systems of KX and GX were higher than those of original soil (CK). After 150 d cultivation, the DOC contents of the soil solution under the KX and GX treatments were significantly increased by 40.5% and 33.1% in comparison with that under CK (P<0.05), respectively. Compared with those from CK and P. purpureum and B. papyrifera monoculture treatments, the Cd content in soil solution from the KX treatment was significantly decreased by 56.1%, 35.5%, and 46.5%, and that in the GX treatment was decreased by 54.5%, 33.2%, and 44.6% (P<0.05), respectively. The Shannon and Chao1 indices of rhizosphere microorganisms under the intercropping systems were significantly higher than those under CK. The number of unique OTUs in intercropping systems was significantly higher than that in CK and the M. azedarach and B. papyrifera monocultures. Intercropping improved the abundance of dominant bacteria such as Actinobacteriota and Acidobacteriota, and the abundance of Actinobacteriota increased by 31.6%, 20.9%, and 25.3% in the KX treatment and by 32.3%, 21.5%, and 25.9% in the GX treatment, respectively, in comparison with those in CK and the P. purpureum and M. azedarach monocultures. It was concluded that intercropping P. purpureum with wood plants could increase their shoot biomass and the accumulations of Cd and Pb, as well as soil environmental quality, whereas the availability and migration risk of heavy metals in soil were reduced. Moreover, the intercropping of P. purpureum and M. azedarach was more beneficial to the remediation of polymetallic-contaminated soil around mining areas.

Accumulation of Heavy Metals by Some Aquatic Macrophytes in Two Streams along the Tiko-Douala Highway, Cameroon

Aims: This study was aimed at determining the ecological health of two roadside streams across the Tiko-Douala highway, Cameroon, and investigating the phytoremediation potentials of dominant aquatic macrophytes within these streams.&#x0D; Study Design: Water, sediments, and aquatic plant samples were collected from Camp 7 and Moqouo streams, and analyzed for ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, phosphates, magnesium, cadmium, and lead, including other relevant water quality parameters.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: In the Life Science Laboratory of the University of Buea, and Soil and Water Laboratory of the University of Dschang, Cameroon between June 2021 and June 2022.&#x0D; Methodology: Six water samples and six sediment samples were collected per stream, and two of the most dominant plant species (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach (Poaceae) and Dicanthelium clandestinum L. (Poaceae) from Camp 7, Commelina benghalensis L. (Commelinaceae) and Oldenlandia corymbosa L.(Rubiaceae) from Moqouo stream) were collected for heavy metal analysis. Heavy metal concentration and bioaccumulation factors were determined for each plant.&#x0D; &#x0D; Results: High concentrations of phosphates were recorded in Camp 7 (1.19 mg/L) and Moqouo (2.17 mg/L) streams. Dissolved oxygen levels were 0.69 mg/L and 0.80 mg/L in Camp 7 and Moqouo respectively. Sediment cadmium levels ranged from 0.33± 0.02 to 0.63± 0.16 mg/kg, and lead ranged from 0.34 ±0.03 to 0.37 ± 0.12 mg/kg in Moqouo and Camp 7 respectively. &#x0D; Conclusion: The Mouqouo and Camp 7 streams are rich in phosphates and thus not suitable for drinking and irrigation. Cadmium and lead in stream water were within the permissible limits but sediments contained higher concentrations than water and therefore they could be released gradually into the water column. All plants in the study except (Dicanthelium cladestinum) accumulated cadmium and lead, and could be potential plants for the phytoremediation of these metals.

Oxalic Acid Pretreatment on Enhancement of Enzymatic Saccharification from Napier Grass for Biofuel Production

Thailand as an agricultural country faces significant challenges in managing the abundant biomass waste generated from agricultural activities. Conventional disposal methods such as incineration contribute to pollution and limited availability of landfill space. To mitigate these issues valorization of this biomass waste has been a solution. This study focuses on the utilization of Napier grass as a renewable energy source. In this experiment, the Napier grass samples were pretreated using oxalic acid with temperature variations (50 – 100 °C), time (30 180 min), and oxalic acid concentration (2 10%w/v) to determine the limit of these three factors for optimization studies. The utilization of Box-Behnken Design (BBD) within Response Surface Methodology (RSM) enabled the determination of optimal pretreatment conditions and the exploration of the correlation between pretreatment factors and reducing sugar content. The model predicted pretreatment with an oxalic acid concentration of 6% w/v, pretreated at 100 °C for 105 min as the optimal pretreatment condition to produce a maximum reducing sugar concentration of 10.65 mg/ml. Therefore, the sample was pretreated at optimum conditions and the results revealed the amount of reducing sugar obtained was 10.67 mg/ml, which differed from the predicted value with an error of 0.22%. Thus, this study provides insight for future researchers on the optimum condition that can be applied for pretreating biomass with oxalic acid to maximize the sugar yield.

Associative effects of a mixed Brachiaria decumbens and Pennisetum purpureum grass feed on the ensiling properties

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the association between two tropical grasses, Signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens) and Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) on the proximate composition, in vitro digestibility, and fermentation characteristics of ensiled material. A complete randomized design was used on three treatments namely Signal grass, Napier grass, and Signal-Napier grass combination. Silage was made using molasses applied in proportions of 1:2 with water and mixed with silage at the rate of 5% for a 5kg bag of 2.5cm cut grass. Signal-Napier grass combination silage was superior in almost all parameters to the two sole crop silages. After ensiling, a significant difference (p&lt;0.05) in most parameters was recorded. A significant difference (p=0.0004) in pH was determined where pH was lower in the sole Napier grass silage than that of the Signal-Napier combination and Signal grass. A similar outcome (P&lt;0.05) was recorded for crude protein, ash, ether extracts, nitrogen-free extracts, and neutral detergent fiber. However, no significant difference (p&gt;0.05) was obtained in dry matter (p=0.1524), crude fiber (p=0.5924), and ADF (p=0.1168). Although having poor digestibility values in all treatments, Signal grass proved to be better than the rest. Organoleptic characteristics were promising, with normal color, smell, and texture changes observed. These results indicated that the association of grasses had an impressive positive effect on the nutritional value and quality of silages. Therefore, the use of mixed grass silages is encouraged.

Morphology, Biomass Production, and Nutrient Analysis Four Napier Grass Cultivar (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) in Teak Tree Forest Area Megeri Village, Blora, Central Java

This study aims to determine the morphology, biomass production and nutrient analysis of four cultivars of napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) in teak tree forest area Megeri village, Blora Regency, Central Java. Four cultivars of napier grass namely Gama Umami, Biovitas, Pakchong, and Zanzibar being cultivated in teak tree forest area. The teak tree forest area was in Kawasan Hutan Dengan Tujuan Khusus (KHDTK) UGM. Previously there was no cultivation of new improved napier grass cultivars in KHDTK. Therefore, it is interestingly to investigate the introduction and growth ability in this area. Grasses were cultivated using stem cuttings approximately 15 cm and maintained for 4 months using a completely randomized design with 4 replications for each cultivar. During the cultivation period, morphological characteristics were observed including plant height, leaf length, leaf width, and tiller numbers. Plant was harvested after 4 month of cultivation and determine for biomass production and nutritional value of grass. The morphological characteristics and nutrient analysis among napier grass cultivars showed the similar trend. Gama Umami, Biovitas, and Pakchong had significantly higher biomass production than that Zanzibar cultivar.

Effects of mixed sugarcane tops and napiergrass silages on fermentative quality, nutritional value, and milk yield in water buffaloes.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectsof sugarcane tops (STs) and napiergrass (NG) silage on fermentative quality, nutritional value and milk yield in water buffaloes. Silage were prepared either conventionally without ST (C) or mixed with 25% (S1), 50% (S2), and 75% (S3) ST based on fresh matter. Twenty-eight lactating buffaloes were divided into four groups with seven replicates and fed four experimental diets containing the corresponding silages. The S3 silage fermented well with a higher (P < 0.05) lactic acid content and lower (P < 0.05) pH and ammonia-N level than those of other mixed silage. Silage with increasing ST proportions showed a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, organic matter, and gross energy. As a result, water buffalo fed S3 silage increased dry matter intake (P < 0.05) and tended to have higher milk yield and feed efficiency as compared with the C group. Our study indicates that adding ST improves NG silage fermentation and enhances the nutrient digestibility and milk production in water buffaloes, and mixing ratio of 25%NG and 75%ST had the highest lactate fermentation quality and presented a high feed value.

On-farm evaluation of growth performance and nutritional values of Brachiaria hybrid and Pennisetum purpureum cultivars in Southern Highlands, Tanzania

Abstract Improved cultivars (cvs.) of Brachiaria hybrid and Pennisetum purpureum forages have been studied extensively in research settings but still there is a paucity of information about their on-farm performance. This study was therefore set to evaluate the on-farm performance of Brachiaria hybrid cvs. Cayman and Cobra, and Pennisetum purpureum cvs. ILRI 16835 and Ouma in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. A total of 30 smallholder dairy farmers who cultivated these improved forage grasses were involved in this study. A 2 m × 2 m sub-plot was marked in established pasture plots and a standardised cut at a 5–7 cm stubble height was done at the beginning of this study. The forage growth performance was conducted from April–July, 2021 (dry period) in two phases of 6 weeks each. These cultivars were evaluated for their above-ground growth performance and nutritional values at the end of each phase. Plant height, leaf length, leaf widths, and number of tillers per plant among cultivars varied significantly (p &lt; 0.05) while above-ground forage biomass did not vary among cultivars (p &gt; 0.05). Crude protein values did not vary significantly among cultivars (p &gt; 0.05), they were 131–141 g kg−1 dry matter (DM). These values were not able to meet the nutritional requirements of the lactating dairy cow. Brachiaria hybrid cv. Cayman had the lowest (p &lt; 0.05) neutral detergent fibre (NDF, 539 g kg−1 DM) compared to other cultivars (545–571 g kg−1 DM), hence high digestibility. It was concluded that Cayman was the best cultivar for forage production in the Southern Highlands, Tanzania due to its low NDF content. However, lower biomass warrants mixing of Cayman with other feeds to meet the daily requirements of a lactating dairy cow.

Production characteristics of red napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. red) on different combination of soil and vermicompost as planting media

This study aimed at measuring production characteristics of Red Napier grass grown on planting media comprising different combinations of soil and vermicompost. The experiment was executed in greenhouse following completely randomized design with 5 treatments i.e. T0: 100% soil (control), T1: 75% soil + 25% vermicompost, T2: 50% soil + 50% vermicompost, T3: 25% soil + 75% vermicompost and T4: 100% vermicompost. Each treatment was replicated 5 times. The soil and vermicompost proportion were from 20 kg total planting media filled in polybags on which the grass stem cuttings were planted. Harvest was done 90 days after planting. Collected data were subjected to analysis of variance and least significant difference test. The results showed that treatments did not significantly affect (P&gt;0.05) plant height, but significantly affect (P&lt;0.05) leaf to stem ratio and very significantly affect (P&lt;0.01) number of tillers, number of leaves, and nutrient production of stem, leaf and herbage. Highest production of dry matter was obtained at the treatment of T3.