P.A. PIETERSE, N.F.G. RETHMAN and J. VAN BOSCH

Department of Plant Production and Soil Science, Faculty of Biological and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa

Abstract

The influence of 5 levels of N fertilisation on the growth rate and water use efficiency of 4 cultivars of Panicum maximum (Gatton, Vencidor, Mutale and Petrie), was evaluated in a pot trial at the University of Pretoria. N fertilisation affected both growth rate and water use efficiency significantly (P ≤ 0.05) and there were also significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences between cultivars. Vencidor had the highest DM production, water use efficiency and digestibility and the lowest NDF and ADF concentrations. Mutale, on the other hand, had the lowest production and water use efficiency. The cultivars also differed in the concentrations of essential elements, crude protein, ADF and NDF. These results should be a good indication of the relative potential of the cultivars when grown under conditions of optimum water availability.