Performance of Southern African Digitaria spp. in southern Queensland

1974 ◽  
Vol 14 (67) ◽  
pp. 186 ◽  
Author(s):  
RW Strickland

Dry matter production and quality of 45 Digitaria accessions were measured over the period 1964-70. In three experiments at Samford, south-east Queensland, the accessions were fertilized with either 336 or 672 kg ha-1 of N a year and cut four-weekly. Both total and cool season production was measured. Highest annual yields were produced by D. smutsii (40,000 kg ha-1), D. macroglossa (37,000 kg ha-1) and D. decumbens (30,000 kg ha-1). D. decumbens yielded up to 5000 kg ha-1 dry matter between May and September compared with up to 6800 kg ha-1 from D. pentzii, 6700 kg ha-1 from D. macroglossa and 6400 kg ha-1 from D. smutsii. In two other experiments persistence and production of nine accessions were compared with those of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) on heavy, gilgaied clay soil at Meandarra, Queensland and with Panicum coloratum var. makarikariense on a shallow, self mulching, sedentary black earth at Southbrook, Queensland. D. decumbens showed the greatest potential for persistence and production at Meandarra and one strain of D. smutsii had the greatest yields at Southbrook. Digestibility and mineral content varied little between species and were generally satisfactory for animal production. Digitaria tended to be higher in phosphorus content than P. coloratum and C. gayana.


1971 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-101
Author(s):  
A. Dovrat ◽  
G.P. Dirven ◽  
B. Dienum

In pot experiments Rhodes grass (cv. "Common" and "Katambora") was fertilized with 1.43 and 8.29 meq N/100 g soil over a period of 56 days and was cut every 14 or 28 days. Cutting at 28 days considerably increased total shoot weight. Root weight per pot of low-N plants was 31 and 23% higher than that of high-N plants at 14- and 28-day cutting intervals, respectively. N application generally increased the average number of harvest tillers, but individual tillers regrew a fewer number of times than those receiving low N. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)



1975 ◽  
Vol 15 (77) ◽  
pp. 788 ◽  
Author(s):  
LA Edye

In a grazed sward trial to compare dry matter production from 25 grass accessions fertilized with 250 kg ha-1 urea annually over a period of four years at 'Lansdown', the highest yielding grasses were Cenchrus ciliaris (buffel grass) cvv. Nunbank and Biloela. Chloris gayana (Rhodes grass) accession 16059, Panicum maximum (green panic) cv. Petrie and C. gayana cv. Callide in that order. Several species failed to persist and some accessions of Chloris, Paspalum and Melinis were virtually non-existent by the end of the second season. In another experiment comparing dry matter production under grazing of 23 accessions sown with a standard legume mixture at two sites ('Lansdown' and 'Fanning River') over periods of five and four years respectively, the highest yields were obtained from Urochloa mosambicensis 6559, C. ciliaris cv. Tarewinnabar and accession 18019 at both sites. Urochloa was top yielder in the higher rainfall site at 'Lansdown' and the two buffel grasses were best at the drier site 'Fanning River'. Of the 23 accessions sown, only 12 at 'Lansdown' and only 7 at 'Fanning River' were persisting strongly when the experiment was completed. Grasses common to both experiments at 'Lansdown' were higher in nitrogen when grown with associated legumes than when grown alone and fertilized with urea. Grass nitrogen levels were low enough to reduce intake by cattle of nearly all accessions throughout the growing season under the urea fertilizer system and phosphorus levels in the grass were generally below that considered adequate for animal nutrition in the legume plots; however, the legumes would probably supply sufficient to meet the animal's requirements for at least part of the year. At 'Fanning River' the accessions were generally lower in nitrogen and phosphorus than at 'Lansdown'.



Author(s):  
Alide M. W. Cova ◽  
Fabio T. O. de Freitas ◽  
Paula C. Viana ◽  
Maria R. S. Rafael ◽  
André D. de Azevedo Neto ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth and accumulation of ions in lettuce grown in different hydroponic systems and recirculation frequencies. The experimental design was randomized blocks with 8 treatments and 4 replicates. The evaluated hydroponic systems were Nutrient Flow Technique (NFT) and an adapted Deep Flow Technique (DFT), the latter with recirculation frequencies of 0.25, 2 and 4 h. Both systems used fresh water and brackish water. Plant growth, accumulation of inorganic solutes (Na+, K+, Cl- and NO3-) and the correlation between dry matter production and Na+/K+ and Cl-/NO3- were evaluated. The salinity of the water used to prepare the nutrient solution caused decrease in growth and K+ and NO3- levels, and increased contents of Na+ and Cl- in the plants. When using fresh water the highest dry matter production was obtained in the NFT system. In case of brackish water the adapted DFT system increased the production, in relation to NFT system (at same recirculation frequency: 0.25 h). It was found that the choice of the type of hydroponic system and recirculation interval for the cultivation of lettuce depends on the quality of the water used to prepare the nutrient solution.



2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
N. A. Dar ◽  
H. U. Khan ◽  
N. A. Ganai ◽  
K. Burman


1978 ◽  
Vol 18 (95) ◽  
pp. 817 ◽  
Author(s):  
RW Strickland ◽  
KP Haydock

Dry matter production and quality of 20 Digitaria accessions, cut four- and eight-weekly, were compared at four sites in south-east Queensland differing in soils, rainfall and frost incidence over the period 1971-73. The wettest, least frosted site was at Beerwah (70 km north of Brisbane) and the two driest, most frosted sites were at Narayen (480 km north-west of Brisbane). Samford (near Brisbane) was intermediate in terms of rainfall and frost incidence. Dry matter production over the two years varied markedly with site, accession and cutting frequency, and there were interactions between all three. D. smutsii (CPI 38869) was well adapted to all sites and Narayen in particular, O. macroglossa (CPI 16267) was specifically adapted to Beerwah, and D. milanjiana (CPI 41 192) and the two D. smutsii accessions (CPI 38869,16778A) to Samford. Accessions of D. milanjiana, O. pentzii and D. setivalva also performed well at Narayen. Accessions differed in resistance to fire, frost, rust and insects, and in nutritional quality. However, all were adequate for ruminant nitrition. An examination of the quality of the accessions as standover winter feed at Narayen showed that frost lowered digestibility, and the sodium and potassium content of the herbage, but not to the level where animal nutrition would be affected.





1983 ◽  
Vol 23 (123) ◽  
pp. 383 ◽  
Author(s):  
DL Lloyd ◽  
JG Nation ◽  
TB Hilder ◽  
PK O'Rourke

Three Makarikari grasses (Panicum coloratum var. makarikariense) viz. 0.4634, cv. Pollock and cv. Bambatsi and Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) cv. Pioneer, each grown with lucerne (Medicago sativa) cv. Hunter River, and sward lucerne were compared for productivity and stability in a rotational grazing system at three stocking rates (22.2, 14.8 and 7 . 4 Merino wethers/ha for grasslucerne pastures; 14.8, 11.1 and 7.4/ha for lucerne swards) on a cracking clay soil on the Darling Downs, Queensland over four years. There were no differences between the Makarikari grass cvv. Pollock and Bambatsi pastures. However, each produced more dry matter and animal liveweight, and persisted better, than Rhodes grass pasture during dry conditions that occurred during the first two years. Rhodes grass nevertheless recovered during two subsequent wet summers. During those two dry years, wool production from sward lucerne was equal to that of the grass-lucerne pastures at both 14.8 and 7.4 animals/ha. Animal liveweight from lucerne was greater than from grass-lucerne pastures at 7.4 animals/ha only. Wide variation, both between and within seasons, was measured in the quantity of feed produced by pastures in this study. This is discussed in relation to the concept of stocking rate of pasture grown on limited areas of grain farms in the northern wheat belt, and to the provision of a continuing feed supply in integrated crop-pasture systems.





1966 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 255-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Dovrat

SummaryResults are reported from experiments with nitrogen and potash fertilizers in irrigated Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana), into which annual winter legumes, e.g. berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) and vetch (Vicia sativa) were overseeded. The experiments were carried out over a three year period on a sandy loam soil at Bet Dagan Experimental Farm, Israel. Ammonium sulphate, applied in equal split rates of up to 384 lb N per acre, linearly increased dry matter yields of Rhodes grass, and the increase of yield proportionally increased the uptake of K by harvest. The K content of the dry matter decreased with increasing nitrogen fertilization to 0·47 per cent which, however, was still found sufficient for maintaining maximum production of Rhodes grass. The yield of annual winter legumes decreased proportionally to the amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied during the summer. Acute potassium starvation was observed. An autumn application of potassium chloride restored dry matter production to normal levels. Availability of soil K, expressed in terms of energies of replacement [ΔF(− 1)], decreased proportionally to the amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied. When ΔF reached approximately 4,250 cal/mol, overseeded legumes were K-deficient, whereas Rhodes grass at that value was still able to extinct sufficient K from the soil for normal growth.



2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Hajar Hajar ◽  
Luki Abdullah ◽  
Didid Diapari

Sorghum feed is a type of cereal plant that has potential use as animal feed or forage. The reseach aim was to evaluate production and nutritional quality of some sorghum hybrid varieties, and determined the optimal spacing of sorghum plants. This research was arranged in a factorial randomized block design with 6 treatments and four replications. The first factor was the varieties of 12FS9006, 13FB7001 and 12S49001. The second factor was space of 25x25cm and 25x40 cm. The variables were fresh and dry matter of biomass production and also nutrient (ash, crude fiber, crude protein, Neutral Detergen Fiber and Acid Detergen Fiber. Sorghum varieties had significant effect (p<0.05) to fresh biomass production, dry matter biomass production, ash, crude ϐiber and crude protein). The space had a significant effect (p<0.05) to the dry matter production of biomass and crude fiber. The average variety of fresh biomass plant production was (18.90 tons ha-1), dry matter production of biomass was (4 ton ha-1), ash (5.51%), crude ϐiber (30.90%) and crude protein (8.45%). The average dry matter production was 4.34 tons ha-1 and crude ϐiber 29.96%. It can be concluded that the highest production and the best nutrient quality of sorghum hybrid was obtained at the sorghum variety of 12S49001, the distance of 25x25cm was the best plant space for hybrid sorghum production



Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document