Description
This study investigated the effect of levels of artificial shading and harvesting age on four micro mineral concentrations (iron, manganese, copper and zinc) of Congo grass (Brachiaria ruzizinensis Germain & Evrard). The experiment was a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement in a split plot design with four replicates, which is three levels of artificial shading (0, 30 and 60% shading) as the main plot and three harvesting age (3, 6 and 9 weeks after cutback). The grass was established in May 2017 and grazed in 2018 and 2019, but a cutback was done in May 2020 for this study and was fertilized with NPK 20:10:10 at the rate of 200kgN/ha. The results showed that the micro minerals were affected (P < 0.05) by the shading and harvesting age. The iron concentration and manganese concentration increased as the level of the shading increased whereas the copper concentration decreased with the increase in the level of shading. The zinc increased with the 30% level of shading but at 60% shading, the concentration was lesser than the concentration of the 0% shading. The effect of harvesting age showed decrease in the micro minerals with advance in harvest age. The interaction effect of shading level x harvesting age had significant (P < 0 .05) on the micro mineral concentrations of the grass. The grass shaded at 60% and harvested at 3WAC had the highest Fe and Mn concentration whereas the unshaded grass harvested at 3WAC had the highest Cu and Zn concentrations. It could be concluded that harvesting the grass at advanced age reduced micro mineral concentration and that shading as well affect the mineral concentration.
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Micro Mineral Concentrations of Congo Grass as Affected by Shading and Harvesting Age
This study investigated the effect of levels of artificial shading and harvesting age on four micro mineral concentrations (iron, manganese, copper and zinc) of Congo grass (Brachiaria ruzizinensis Germain & Evrard). The experiment was a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement in a split plot design with four replicates, which is three levels of artificial shading (0, 30 and 60% shading) as the main plot and three harvesting age (3, 6 and 9 weeks after cutback). The grass was established in May 2017 and grazed in 2018 and 2019, but a cutback was done in May 2020 for this study and was fertilized with NPK 20:10:10 at the rate of 200kgN/ha. The results showed that the micro minerals were affected (P < 0.05) by the shading and harvesting age. The iron concentration and manganese concentration increased as the level of the shading increased whereas the copper concentration decreased with the increase in the level of shading. The zinc increased with the 30% level of shading but at 60% shading, the concentration was lesser than the concentration of the 0% shading. The effect of harvesting age showed decrease in the micro minerals with advance in harvest age. The interaction effect of shading level x harvesting age had significant (P < 0 .05) on the micro mineral concentrations of the grass. The grass shaded at 60% and harvested at 3WAC had the highest Fe and Mn concentration whereas the unshaded grass harvested at 3WAC had the highest Cu and Zn concentrations. It could be concluded that harvesting the grass at advanced age reduced micro mineral concentration and that shading as well affect the mineral concentration.
