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The use of inorganic fertilizers has been reported to have improved pasture productivity, however it has also attributed to soil toxicity, environmental pollution, mineral imbalance, and health hazards among many adverse effects. This made the adoption of organic fertilizers became best alternative to correct nutrients deficiencies in the soil due to their environmental friendly nature and less cost effectiveness. To investigate the comparative advantages of these two types of fertilizer, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of fertilizer types on the nutritive quality of Panicum maximum var. Ntchisi and Andropogon tectorum harvested at 6 and 8 weeks during the wet season. The study was a factorial experiment (4 x 2 x 2), arranged in a split-split-plot design with three replicates. There were 16 treatments to include; fertilizer types (NPK, Aleshinloye organo-mineral fertilizer, poultry manure and control (no fertilizer)), grass species (Panicum maximum var. Ntchisi and Andropogon tectorum) and age at harvest (6 and 8 weeks). Fertilizer treatments were allotted to the main plots while grass species were allotted to sub-plots and again harvest age was allotted to sub-subplots. Sub-samples taken from harvested forage materials were oven dried, properly milled and analysed in the laboratory to determine proximate composition [crude protein (CP%), ash, ether extract (EE%)], fibre fractions [acid detergent fibre (ADF%), neutral detergent fibre (NDF%), acid detergent lignin (ADL%), Cellulose, and Hemicelluloses) and in vitro gas production. Fertilizer types significantly (P<0.0.5) affected ADF, hemicellulose, cellulose and methane (CH4). The grasses fertilized with NPK had the highest value (9.00mL) for CH4. Poultry manure (PM) fertilized grasses recorded the highest value for in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) (89.38%). Andropogon tectorum fertilized with PM harvested at 6 weeks recorded the highest value for IVDMD (93.00%) and the same grass fertilized with NPK, harvested at 6 weeks recorded the highest values (0.37 mL and 4.70%) for short chain fatty acid and metabolizable energy, respectively. Therefore, this study established that fertilizer applications had an influence on fibre fraction, methane and post-incubation parameters of the grasses investigated.

Sporadic change in weather condition has posed serious threat to hay production which has been considered to be the simplest means of conserving forage during the period of abundance. In order to maximize opportunity of ensuring that forage is conserved with less weather  dependent  technique,  an  experiment  was  conducted  to  evaluate  chemical composition of hay produced from three different drying techniques stored for a period of 90 days in South-west Nigeria. The experiment comprises three factors namely: Four fertilizer types, two grass species and three drying techniques forming 4 x 2 x 3 factorial arrangement, having 24 total treatments combinations replicated thrice. The fertilizer types were N.P. K. 20:10:10 (NPK), Aleshinloye organo-mineral (AOM) and poultry manure (PM) and a control. These were applied at the rate of 120 kgN/ha based on their nitrogen content. The grasses were Panicum maximum (Ntchisi) and Andropogon tectorum which were harvested at 8 weeks after cutting back (8WAC) in early dry season period in the year 2016. The three drying techniques were oven drying, solar drying and conventional drying. The results presented shows that solar dried hay were observed to produce the highest significant (P<0.05) crude protein (CP) (9.50, 8.81 and 8.41%) at 0, 6 and 12 weeks after storage (WAS), respectively. Meanwhile, the highest (P<0.05) ash (9.77 %) was observed in conventional dried hay at 6 WAS. The highest (P<0.05) ether extract (EE) (5.92%) was obtained in conventional dried hay at 12 WAS. The highest (P<0.05) Non Fibre Carbohydrate (NFC) values (23.35, 29.19 and 44.41%) were observed in conventional dried hay, while the lowest (P<0.05) NFC values (10.42, 25.12 and 37.55%) were obtained in solar dried hay at 0, 6 and 12 WAS, respectively. The highest (P<0.05) Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF) (58.08 and 48.83%) were observed in oven and solar drying techniques at 0 and 6 WAS respectively. Conventional dried hay had the highest ADL (14.58%) at 12 WAS. The highest (P<0.05) hemicellulose (16.17 and 24.58%) were recorded in solar dried hay at 0 and 6, WAS respectively. In conclusion, solar drying technique produced best hay having the highest CP content throughout the sampling periods, although the CP content was decreased as the storage progresses, but it still retained the CP content beyond the recommended rate for optimum animal performance.     Les changements sporadiques dans les conditions météorologiques ont posé une grave menace à la production de foin, qui a été considérée comme le moyen le plus simple de conserver le fourrage pendant la période d'abondance. Afin de maximiser les possibilités de s'assurer que le fourrage est conservé avec une technique moins dépendante des conditions météorologiques, une expérience a été menée pour évaluer la composition chimique du foin produite à partir de trois techniques de séchage différentes stockées pendant une période de 90 jours dans le sud-ouest du Nigéria. L'expérience comprend trois facteurs: quatre types d'engrais, deux espèces d'herbe et trois techniques de séchage formant 4 x 2 x 3 arrangement factorial, ayant 24 combinaisons totales de traitements répliquées trois fois. Les types d'engrais étaient N.P. K. 20:10:10 (le 'NPK'), Aleshinloye organo-minéral (le 'AOM') et fumier de volaille (le 'PM') et un contrôle. Ceux-ci ont été appliqués à un taux de 120 kgN/ha en fonction de leur teneur en azote. Les graminées étaient panicum maximum (Ntchisi) et Andropogon tectorum qui ont été récoltées à 8 semaines après la coupe (8WAC) au début de la saison sèche en 2016. Les trois techniques de séchage étaient le séchage au four, le séchage solaire et le séchage conventionnel. Les résultats présentés montrent que le foin séché solaire a été observé pour produire la protéine brute (CP) la plus importante (P<0.05) (CP) (9.50, 8.81 et 8.41 %) 0, 6 et 12 semaines après le stockage (WAS), respectivement. Pendant ce temps, les cendres les plus < (P<0.05) (9.77 %) a été observé dans le foin séché conventionnel à 6 WAS. Extrait d'éther (P<0.05) le plus élevé (EE) (5.92 %) a été obtenu dans le foin séché conventionnel à 12 WAS. Les valeurs les plus élevées (P<0.05) non fibre de carbone (NFC) (23.35, 29.19 et 44.41 %) ont été observées dans le foin séché conventionnel, tandis que les valeurs NFC les plus faibles (P<0.05) (10.42, 25.12 et 37.55 %) ont été obtenus dans le foin séché solaire à 0, 6 et 12 WAS, respectivement. Fibre détergente neutre (NDF) la plus élevée (P<0.05) (NDF) (58.08 et 48.83 %) ont été observés dans les techniques de séchage au four et solaire à 0 et 6 WAS respectivement. Le foin séché conventionnel avait l'ADL le plus élevé (14.58%) à 12 WAS. L'hémicellulose la plus élevée (P<0.05) (16.17 et 24.58 %) ont été enregistrés dans le foin séché solaire à 0 et 6, WAS respectivement. En conclusion, la technique de séchage solaire a produit le meilleur foin ayant la teneur en CP la plus élevée tout au long des périodes d'échantillonnage, bien que la teneur en CP ait diminué au fur et à mesure que l'entreposage progresse, mais elle a tout de même conservé la teneur en CP au- delà du taux recommandé pour une performance optimale des animaux.

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Fertilizer applications has been widely utilized to improve soil fertility, and consequently enhanced plant productivity. Yet, the best fertilizer type for late rainy season forage production is rarely tested in Nigeria. Hence, an experiment was conducted to investigate the regrowth potential of two tropical grasses during late rainy season in Abeokuta, derived Savanna zone of Nigeria. This experiment comprised four fertilizer treatments [Nitrogen Phosphorous Potassium 20: 10: 10 fertilizer (NPK), Aleshinloye organo-mineral fertilizer (AOM), Poultry manure (PM), no fertilizer (control)] and two grass species (Panicum maximum var Ntchisi and Andropogon tectorum). This experiment was a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement laid out in a split plot design, forming 8 treatments that were replicated three times. Data were collected on agronomic parameters such as plant height (PH), plant length (PL), leaf length (LL), leaf width (LW), number of tillers/stand (TN) and number of leaves/stand (NL) for the period of 6 weeks after cutback at an interval of 2 weeks. The results revealed that NPK fertilized P. maximum var Ntchisi had higher LLthan others. In the case of TN and NL, fertilized P. maximum var Ntchisi performed better than other grass. Poultry manure fertilized P. maximum var Ntchisi gave a greater TN and NL in relation to other treatments group. Therefore, it could be concluded that P. maximum var Ntchisi fertilized with NPK and PM fertilizers had better regrowth performance during the late rainy season in Abeokuta. For high pasture productivity during dry season, P. maximum var Ntchisi fertilized with Poultry manure fertilizer should be adopted by farmers.       Les applications d'engrais ont été largement utilisées pour améliorer la fertilité des sols et, par conséquent, une productivité des plantes améliorée. Pourtant, le meilleur type d'engrais pour la production de forage de la saison des pluies tardifs est rarement testé au Nigéria. Par conséquent, une expérience a été menée pour enquêter sur le potentiel de repousse de deux herbes tropicales pendant la fin de la saison des pluies à Abeokuta, une zone de savane dérivée du Nigéria. Cette expérience comprenait quatre traitements d'engrais [Engrais de potassium de phosphore d'azote 20: 10: 10 (NPK), engrais organo-minéral Aleshinloye (EOA), fumier de volaille (FV), sans engrais (contrôle)] et deux espèces d'herbe (Panicum maximum var Ntchisi et andropogon tectorum). Cette expérience a été une disposition factorielle de 4 × 2 dans une conception de tracé divisée, formant 8 traitements reproduits trois fois. Les données ont été collectées sur des paramètres agronomiques tels que la hauteur de la plante (HP), la longueur de la plante (LP), la longueur des feuilles (LF), la largeur de la feuille (LF), le nombre de barreurs (NB) et le nombre de feuilles (NF) pour la période de 6 semaines après la réduction à un intervalle de 2 semaines. Les résultats ont révélé que la NPK Fertilisée P. Maximum Var ntchisi avait plus de LF que d'autres. Dans le cas de Nb et NF, P. Fertilisé Var ntchisi a fonctionné mieux que d'autres herbes. Licure de volaille Fertilisée P. maximum var ntchisi a donné un plus grand NB et NF par rapport à d'autres types de traitements. Par conséquent, on pourrait en conclure que P. Var ntchisi Fertilisé avec NPK et les engrais FVavaient une meilleure performance de repousse pendant la fin de la saison des pluies à Abeokuta. Pour une productivité élevée de pâturage pendant la saison sèche, P. Var ntchisi Fertilisé avec un engrais de fumier de volaille doit être adopté par des agriculteurs.

Insufficient forage supply from natural rangelands during the dry season hampers ruminants' performance in the derived savanna zone of Nigeria. Therefore, to provide alternative feed resources, we evaluated silage potential of Columbus grass (Sorghum almum Parodi) at boot, dough and maturity stages for 4‐, 8‐, 12‐ and 16‐week ensiling durations, in a 3 × 4 factorial experiment. The dry matter yield (DMY) was determined at each harvest stage, and the forages were subsequently ensiled. The results revealed that the DMY of S. almum at maturity was 8.98% and 18.67% higher than at dough and boot stages, respectively (p < 0.05). The silages were ranked “good silage” based on physical characteristics. Silage pH decreased with advancing ensiling duration from 4 to 16 weeks in boot (5.25–4.63), dough (5.63–4.11) and maturity (5.42–4.91), with a corresponding increase in lactic and volatile fatty acids. Crude protein (CP) was higher in forages ensiled at maturity and increased with ensiling duration after initial decline from 4 to 8 weeks. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and hemicellulose increased quadratically from boot to dough and subsequently declined at maturity. Growth stage, ensiling duration and their interactions influenced the macrominerals' content (p < 0.05). Silages' dry matter intake (DMI) declined from boot to dough stage across the ensiling durations, and except for 8 weeks, the DMI increased at maturity by 6.71%, 5.54% and 7.19% in 4, 12 and 16 weeks, respectively. Therefore, owing to the lower NDF and high DMY, CP and DMI of S. almum ensiled at maturity for 16 weeks, it could guarantee a quantitative and qualitative forage supply to maintain optimum animal performance throughout the dry season.

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