Effect of nitrogen on yield and quality of <i>Panicum maximum</i> cvv. Mombasa and Tanzania in Northeast Thailand

Authors

  • Michael D. Hare Ubon Forage Seeds, Faculty of Agriculture, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.
  • Supaphan Phengphet Ubon Forage Seeds, Faculty of Agriculture, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.
  • Theerachai Songsiri Ubon Forage Seeds, Faculty of Agriculture, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.
  • Naddakorn Sutin Ubon Forage Seeds, Faculty of Agriculture, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17138/tgft(3)27-33
Abstract Authors How to Cite

Abstract

A field trial in Northeast Thailand during 2011–2012 compared the effects of nitrogen fertilizer, applied as urea in the wet season, on the growth and quality of Panicum maximum cvv. Mombasa and Tanzania. In the establishment year, increasing rates of nitrogen (0, 20, 40 and 60 kg N/ha every 40-45 days) (0–180 kg N/ha for growing period) progressively increased stem, leaf and total DM production (P<0.05). At higher rates (80 and 100 kg N/ha or 240–300 kg N/ha for growing period), only total DM increased at the highest rate. In the second year, a rate of 20 kg N/ha every 40-45 days (80 kg N/ha for growing season) doubled the amount of DM compared with no nitrogen, and 80 kg N/ha every 40-45 days (320 kg N/ha for growing period) produced significantly higher stem, leaf and total DM yields than most other rates. The yield response (kg DM/kg N) decreased linearly (24.7 to 20.3 in 2011; 56.7 to 15.1 in 2012) from the lowest to the highest rate of nitrogen. In both years, increasing rates of nitrogen significantly increased CP and NDF concentrations in stems and leaves and ADF concentrations in stems. Mombasa produced 17 and 19% more leaf and 18 and 22% more total DM than Tanzania, in the first and the second year, respectively. Mombasa also produced 30% more stem DM than Tanzania in the second year. While Tanzania produced higher CP levels than Mombasa in the establishment year, in the second year, Tanzania had higher levels than Mombasa only when N rates of 80–100 kg N/ha were applied every 40-45 days (320–400 kg N/ha for growing period). Applying 60 kg N/ha every 40-45 days appears to be a reasonable compromise to achieve satisfactory DM yields in the wet season (8,000 kg/ha first year and 12,000 kg/ha second year), leaf percentage of 68–70% and leaf CP concentrations above 7%.

Keywords: Guinea grass, crude protein, leaf production, fertilizer responses.

DOI: 10.17138/TGFT(3)27-33

Author Biography

Michael D. Hare, Ubon Forage Seeds, Faculty of Agriculture, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

Michael Hare has been involved with seed production of tropical and temperate forage grasses and legumes for almost four decades in Thailand (tropical) and New Zealand (temperate). In Thailand Michael started large scale machine harvesting of Townsville stylo and Verano stylo in the 1970s and later was involved in a village farmer seed programme of various species which continues until this day. From 1984 to 1994 Michael worked as a herbage seed scientist at Grasslands Division, DSIR, Palmerston North, New Zealand, researching seed production problems on a wide range of temperate species. Since 1994, Michael has worked at Ubon Ratchathani University in Thailand, researching seed production of tropical forages and starting a new village seed programme with Tropical Seeds, a subsidiary of a Mexican seed company, Grupo Papalotla. This programme contracts over 1000 village farmers in Thailand and Laos to produce seed of Mulato II and Cayman hybrid brachiarias, Mombasa and Tanzania guinea grasses, Ubon paspalum and Ubon stylo. Seed is currently being exported to countries in Central America, the South Pacific, other parts of Asia and now Africa. Michael conducts research trials on the above species and is involved in final evaluation of new hybrid brachiaria accessions from CIAT for which Grupo Papalotla has the production rights. Michael is a professor in the Faculty of Agriculture, Ubon Ratchathani University and recently became a Fellow of the Tropical Grassland Society of Australia Inc. He has been author or co-author of 130 papers on various aspects of seed and forages in both temperate and tropical pastures.

How to Cite

Hare, M. D., Phengphet, S., Songsiri, T., & Sutin, N. (2015). Effect of nitrogen on yield and quality of <i>Panicum maximum</i> cvv. Mombasa and Tanzania in Northeast Thailand. Tropical Grasslands-Forrajes Tropicales, 3(1), 27–33. https://doi.org/10.17138/tgft(3)27-33

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Published

2015-01-28

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1: January 2015

Section

Research Papers