Forage production and quality of three species of the genus Pennisetum in the high Andean zone of Ancash

Delicia Magnolia Prudencio Velásquez; Yaneline Nilda Hidalgo Vásquez; Néstor Humberto Chagray Ameri; Felix Esteban Airahuacho Bautista; Rufino Maximo Maguiña Maza

Abstract

The objective of the research was to determine and compare the productive behavior and forage quality of Pennisetum sp. (maralfalfa), Pennisetum purpureum Schum (cameroon grass) and Pennisetum purpureum x Pennisetum typhoides (king grass) in the High Andean Valley of Ancash. One hundred and twenty vegetative seeds per forage species were used, planted with a density of 40 thousand plants ha^-1 and an uniformisation cut was made at 160 days post sowing (first harvest). The variables evaluated at replanting (30 days post sowing) were the vegetative germination percentage and tillering capacity. At 226 days post planting (second harvest), plant height, forage yield in green and dry matter, growth rate and nutritional quality were evaluated. A completely randomized design with three treatments (Pennisetum species) and 6 repetitions was used. Maralfalfa and king grass showed the best vegetative germination percentage. Maralfalfa obtained the highest tillering capacity (8.9 tillers plant^-1), plant height (0.98 m) and forage yield in green matter (90.3 t ha^-1), while Cameroon grass obtained the highest dry matter yield and rate of growth (12.9 t DM ha^-1 and 196.5 kg ha^-1 day^-1, respectively). Backed by the higher dry matter yield and growth rate, Cameroon grass would be the recommended species to cultivate in the area of the evaluated. A second alternative to cultivate would be maralfalfa that showed the best agronomic characteristics.