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

Abstract

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.

Apparent digestibility and nutritional composition of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) leaf meal incorporated in the diets of Black Australorp and Potchefstroom Koekoek chicken breeds

“…The maturity stage and the growing conditions of plant have an effect on nutritional value of forage (Msiza et al 2021;Sebola et al 2019). The results of the chemical composition of L. leucocephala are in agreement with various reports (Dhär et al 2007;Mohamed et al 2014;Reyes and Fermin 2003;Leketa et al 2019;Ayssiwede et al 2010).…”

Contribution of Soil Type to Quantity and Nutritional Value of Grass Species on the South African Highveld

“…Grasses were found to contain high fiber levels and these results were similar to the findings of Ravhuhali [25]. The highest CP content across all soil types was reported in D. eriantha (86.6-106.5 g/kg) and Aristida congesta (77.1-82.9 g/kg), suggesting the genetic superiority of this grass species [16]. While these CP levels are moderate, they are only just above the recommended CP levels (70 g/kg DM) for maintenance of rumen function [56].…”

“…In order to sustain rangelands and enhance the productivity of livestock, information on how grazing management practices influence vegetation diversity, density, and nutritive value is vital [15,16]. However, this information is not readily available for most South African rangelands, especially in the highveld of Mpumalanga province.…”

Nutrients Profile of 52 Browse Species Found in Semi-Arid Areas of South Africa for Livestock Production: Effect of Harvesting Site

“…Variation in location, browse species and plant components are some of the interrelated factors that influence the forage nutritive value. These interrelated factors have been noted as determinants on the concentration levels of nutrient content and bioactive compounds in the browse species globally [2,13,[43][44][45][46][47]. Spatial variation involves numerous attributes such as temperature, ozone, altitude, rainfall and different soil type [14,16,18].…”