Publication Date

1993

Description

Napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.), a robust perennial bunchgrass with high yield potential, rapidly loses quality and palatability without proper management as it matures. In 1985 and 1986, 2 dwarf napiergrass cultivars (Mott and Tift Nl29) and 2 tall cultivars (Merkeron and Tift N68) were evaluated for yield, quality and agronomic characteristics. Dwarf cultivars yielded about 1/3 as much as tall cultivars. Percentage leaf was 60-76 for dwarf cultivors and 43-46 for tall cultivars. Average In vitro dry matter digestibility (lVDMD) of whole plants was similar among cultivars except for Tift N68 which tended to be lower (605, 594, 610 and 573 g/kg, respectively, for Molt, N129, Merkeron and N68). Differences in stem IVDMD were observed in the last harvest when dwarfs had higher values. High frequencies of desirable dwarfs were observed in selfed progenies of Merkeron and in dwarf pearl millet (P. glaucum (L.) R. Br.) x Moll napiergrass crosses

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Evaluation of Dwarf Napiergrass

Napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.), a robust perennial bunchgrass with high yield potential, rapidly loses quality and palatability without proper management as it matures. In 1985 and 1986, 2 dwarf napiergrass cultivars (Mott and Tift Nl29) and 2 tall cultivars (Merkeron and Tift N68) were evaluated for yield, quality and agronomic characteristics. Dwarf cultivars yielded about 1/3 as much as tall cultivars. Percentage leaf was 60-76 for dwarf cultivors and 43-46 for tall cultivars. Average In vitro dry matter digestibility (lVDMD) of whole plants was similar among cultivars except for Tift N68 which tended to be lower (605, 594, 610 and 573 g/kg, respectively, for Molt, N129, Merkeron and N68). Differences in stem IVDMD were observed in the last harvest when dwarfs had higher values. High frequencies of desirable dwarfs were observed in selfed progenies of Merkeron and in dwarf pearl millet (P. glaucum (L.) R. Br.) x Moll napiergrass crosses