A comparative analysis of the morphology and nutritive value of five South African native grass species grown under controlled conditions

Ravhuhali, Khuliso Emmanuel; Mlambo, Victor; Beyene, Tefera S; Palamuleni, Lobina G.

doi:10.2989/10220119.2018.1516236

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Chlorophyll meter SPAD-502Plus was used to measure chlorophyll at each growth stage. At all growth stages, each grass species was scored based on nutritive value, agronomic and morphological traits with the tallest plants composed of broad leaves, high tiller numbers and the high number of leaves being ranked high on a scale of 1-9 taken from their averages (1-unsuitable and 9-highly suitable) as outlined [12][13][14][15]. Based on the combination of nutritive value, agronomic and morphological traits, grass species were ranked according to their potential for restoring a degraded rangeland using their averages.…”

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adjolohoun et al [47] found that the ability of all grass accessions to stand both biotic and abiotic stresses and be able to produce as much forage in less nutritive soils can be ascribed to their deep root development. Even though the morphological characteristics of the grass roots were not studied in this study, the thickness of the stem is always associated with thick roots system to function in high translocation from the roots to the whole plant through the xylem and phloem [14].…”

Section: Root and Biomass Yieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ranking Species for Veld Restoration in Semi-Arid Regions Using Agronomic, Morphological and Chemical Parameters of Selected Grass Species at Different Developmental Stages under Controlled Environment

et al. 2020

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The establishment of complementary native grass species could be an ideal method of dealing with existing problems of veld degradation and inadequate forage quantity and quality of pastures. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of native grasses viz., Anthephora pubescens, Cenchrus ciliaris, Chloris gayana, Dactylis glomerata, Digitaria eriantha, Eragrostis curvula, Festuca arundinacea, Panicum maximum and Themeda triandra. Attributes at different growth stages on agronomy, morphology and chemical composition were checked. Panicum maximum had the broader (p < 0.05) leaves across all growth stages when compared to all other grass species. Festuca arundinacea had highest (p < 0.05) number of tillers than C. ciliaris, C. gayana, D. glomerata, D. eriantha, E. curvula, P. maximum and T. triandra at 2–4-months age. Within each species, all grasses had the highest (p < 0.05) number of leaves at maturity. Chloris gayana, D. glomerata and P. maximum had the highest (p < 0.05) biomass yield when compared to F. arundinacea at the elongation stage. Eragrostis curvula had the highest (p < 0.05) crude protein (CP) values when compared to all other grasses, except for D. glomerata, F. arundinacea and P. maximum at the elongation stage. Panicum maximum and T. triandra had the least (p < 0.05) acid detergent lignin (ADL) values when compared to all other grasses at both vegetative and the elongation stages. In the ranking, C. ciliaris, C. gayana, D. eriantha, E. curvula, P. maximum and A. pubescens outperformed the rest of the grasses on most parameters. With the low crude protein (CP) content of these grasses, protein supplementation is highly crucial for high performing ruminants, especially those animals that graze grasses as their sole diets.

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Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Root and Biomass Yieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ranking Species for Veld Restoration in Semi-Arid Regions Using Agronomic, Morphological and Chemical Parameters of Selected Grass Species at Different Developmental Stages under Controlled Environment

et al. 2020

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“…Moreover, taller genotypes can offer additional benefits. They can provide better shade cover, which can be advantageous in hot and arid regions by reducing evapotranspiration and minimizing water stress on the plants (Ravhuhali et al, 2018). On the other hand, genotypes with shorter plant heights may have advantages in certain situations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of cutting regime and genotype on growth, seed yield, seed quality and herbage yield of seven Urochloa (syn. Brachiaria) grass genotypes in the Adamawa region of Cameroon

Ojong,

Takor,

Egbe

et al. 2024

Grassland Science

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The performance of seven Urochloa grass genotypes (three worldwide cultivars cv. Basilisk, cv. Piata, cv. Xaraes and four landrace cv. Adamaoua1, cv. Adamaoua2, cv. North1 and cv. North2) subjected to two cutting regimes (mid‐June cut and mid‐July cut) was evaluated for regrowth characteristics, seed yields, seed quality and herbage production in 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons at Wakwa, Ngaoundere, Cameroon. This divergence in harvesting practices raises concerns regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of forage utilization, as well as the potential impact on livestock productivity and sustainable farming systems. A split plot design with five replications and a 1‐year‐old sward was used for the study. In both years, genotypes were significantly different for plant height and tiller numbers at 12 weeks after cutting (P ≤ 0.007). In 2020, the dry matter yield (DMY) ranged between 8.78 t/ha (cv. Piata) and 12.75 t/ha (cv. Xaraes) for June cut regrowth and between 7.69 t/ha (cv. Piata) and 10.26 t/ha (cv. Xaraes) for July cut regrowth. In 2021, DMY ranged between 6.06 t/ha (Adamaoua2) and 13.95 t/ha (cv. Xaraes) for the June cut and between 6.55 t/ha (cv. Adamaoua2) and 10.47 t/ha (cv. Basilisk) for the July cut. For flowering behavior and seed yields, Basilisk flowered earliest while cv. Xaraes flowered latest. In 2020, seed yields were 74.80 kg/ha and 107.72 kg/ha for June cut and July cut regrowth, respectively, whereas in 2021, seed yields were 331 kg/ha and 431 kg/ha for June cut and July cut regrowth, respectively. cv. Adamaoua1 produced the highest seed yield in both years. The cutting regimes evaluated in this study were indifferent for DMY and seed yield.

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“…Higher biomass yields displayed by E. superba can be attributed to its inherent superior morphoecological characteristics compared to E. macrostachyus and C. ciliaris. Eragrostis superba exhibits taller stems, longer tillers, large stem diameters, high broad leafy biomass and leaf-to-stem ratios (Mganga et al 2021;Ravhuhali et al 2019;Koech et al 2016). These traits enabled E. superba to maintain higher vegetative productivity.…”

Section: Aboveground Biomass Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining Rainwater Harvesting and Grass Reseeding to Revegetate Denuded African Semi-arid Landscapes

Mganga

Bosma²,

Amollo

et al. 2021

Anthr. Sci.

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In African drylands, perennial grasses preferred by grazing livestock are disappearing at an alarming rate. This has led to recurrent livestock feed shortages threatening pastoralist’s livelihoods. Combining native grass reseeding and rainwater harvesting offers a viable and innovative solution to reverse this trend. However, studies to determine how biomass yields are affected by soil moisture availability attributed to in situ rainwater harvesting in African drylands are limited. We investigated how biomass yields of three grasses native to Africa, i.e., Enteropogon macrostachyus (Bush rye grass), Cenchrus ciliaris (African foxtail grass), and Eragrostis superba (Maasai love grass), are affected by soil moisture content in a typical semi-arid landscape. Rainwater harvesting structures included trenches, micro-catchments and furrows. Additionally, rain runoff was diverted from an adjacent road used as a catchment area. Soil moisture was measured between November 2018 and August 2019 using PlantCare Mini-Logger sensors installed at 40 and 50 cm depths and 0, 1, 5 and 15 m away from the trench. Quadrat method was used to determine biomass yields in August 2019. Peaks in soil moisture were observed after rainfall events. Soil moisture content gradually decreased after the rainy season, but was higher closer to the trench. This is attributed to the prolonged rainwater retention in the trenches. Biomass yields were in the order Eragrostis superba > Cenchrus ciliaris > Enteropogon macrostachyus. Biomass production was higher near the trenches for all the studied species. Sensitivity to soil moisture demonstrated by the magnitude to yield reduction during the growing season was in the order Eragrostis superba > Cenchrus ciliaris > Enteropogon macrostachyus. These results suggest that Eragrostis superba is more sensitive to drought stress than Enteropogon macrostachyus that is adapted to a wide range of soil moisture conditions. We demonstrated that in situ rainwater harvesting structures enhanced soil moisture availability and displayed great potential for revegetating denuded natural rangelands in semi-arid African landscapes. Thus, combining rainwater harvesting and reseeding techniques can produce measurable improvements in pastoral livelihoods and should be incorporated in dryland development policies in the region. Ultimately, incorporating such innovative strategies can strengthen the effectiveness of ecological restoration in African drylands to meet the objectives of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Graphical abstract

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A comparative analysis of the morphology and nutritive value of five South African native grass species grown under controlled conditions

Cited by 5 publications

References 17 publications

Ranking Species for Veld Restoration in Semi-Arid Regions Using Agronomic, Morphological and Chemical Parameters of Selected Grass Species at Different Developmental Stages under Controlled Environment

Ranking Species for Veld Restoration in Semi-Arid Regions Using Agronomic, Morphological and Chemical Parameters of Selected Grass Species at Different Developmental Stages under Controlled Environment

The effect of cutting regime and genotype on growth, seed yield, seed quality and herbage yield of seven Urochloa (syn. Brachiaria) grass genotypes in the Adamawa region of Cameroon

Combining Rainwater Harvesting and Grass Reseeding to Revegetate Denuded African Semi-arid Landscapes

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