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Persistence and productivity of selected Guinea grass ecotypes in semiarid tropical Kenya
Author(s) -
Njarui Donald M. G.,
Gatheru Mwangi,
Mwangi David M.,
Keya George A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
grassland science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.388
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1744-697X
pISSN - 1744-6961
DOI - 10.1111/grs.12092
Subject(s) - ecotype , dry matter , panicum , productivity , agronomy , dry season , biology , growing season , ecology , economics , macroeconomics
The increased frequency of drought and reduced rainfall due to effects of climate change is a major threat to the livestock feed base in semiarid Kenya. There is a need for drought tolerant and productive grasses to mitigate this effect. Persistence and productivity of 19 Guinea grass ( Panicum maximum Jacq.) ecotypes was assessed over a 3‐year period (2009–2011) along with one commercial cultivar as control at three drought stress environments in eastern Kenya. Root splits were established in plots of 4 m × 4 m, replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. Plant survival and dry matter yields were influenced by the amount of rainfall. Seven out of 19 ecotypes failed to survive at the drier site of Kambi ya Mawe (KYM), while at the relatively wetter sites of Katumani and Ithookwe, all the 19 ecotypes survived throughout the experimental period. None of the ecotypes showed a consistently superior dry matter yield in all the seasons at any site. The dry matter yields were highest during the long rains 2010 season at Katumani and Kambi ya Mawe and in both short rains 2009 and long rains 2010 seasons at Ithookwe when seasonal rainfall was high. Katumani had the highest number of ecotypes (13) that attained overall seasonal mean dry matter yield of ≥3.0 t ha −1 followed by Ithookwe (8) and then KYM (4). At Ithookwe, five ecotypes (K76, K97, K100, K105 and K52‐129) attained higher ( P < 0.05) overall seasonal mean dry matter yield than the control while the drier site of KYM , had two (K17 and K104) but none at Katumani. Significant differences ( P < 0.05) in forage quality composition were recorded only in acid detergent fiber content and digestibility. The study shows that there are other alternative Guinea grasses that are productive and can replace the commercial cultivar in the semiarid Kenya.