Abstract

RAMOS-TREJO, O. Santiago; VICTORIA-GRANIEL, C. Arturo  and  SANDOVAL-GIO, J. José. Season, fertilization, and yield of varieties of Pennisetum purpureum. Agrociencia [online]. 2015, vol.49, n.8, pp.837-844. ISSN 2521-9766.

Pennisetum purpureum has an extended use as forage and further knowledge related to the seasonal influence and fertilization could improve its cultivation. The effects of dry and rainy season and application of fertilizers (200-60-00), on the yield of four varieties of P. purpureum (Taiwan, OM-22, Maralfalfa, CT-115), and a homogeneous mixture of them were evaluated. The study, with four replicates, was conducted at Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Tizimín, México, and lasted 10 months. Dry matter (DM), crude protein, leaf/stem ratio, stalks per cluster, and plant height, were assessed. Mean values of DM of all treatments in rainy season were significantly different with respect of dry season (36 and 28 t ha^-1). Dry matter in treatments with fertilizer was 35 t ha^-21 % higher than control without fertilizer (~ 29 t ha^-1). Assessment of interaction factors showed that the best mean value was for rainy season with fertilizer (~39 t DM ha^-1) and in individual evaluation, Maralfalfa and OM-22, recorded the best yield (~44 t DM ha^-1 fertilizers in rainy season). Dasometric measurements were inconstant for cultivars of the study. We suggest comparing these results with other indicators associated with rainfall and soil humidity for a better perspective of the cultivation of this species.

Keywords : Chemical composition; dry matter; tropical forages; King Napier grass; yield.

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