| ARJASR |
Academic Research Journal of
Agricultural Science and Research |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research Vol. 4(6), pp. 264-278. November, 2016. ISSN: 2360-7874 DOI: 10.14662/ARJASR2016.034 Full Length Research Evaluation of vetch species for yield, yield components and herbage quality in the central highlands of Ethiopia
Gezahagn Kebede
Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, P.O.Box, 2003, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. E-mail: gezk2007@yahoo.co.uk
Accepted 31 October 2016
Five vetch species were evaluated for their morphological, agronomical and nutritional differences at Holetta and Ginchi in the central highlands of Ethiopia during 2009 cropping season. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with three replications. At sowing, 100 kg DAP/ha was applied for all treatments. Data were collected and analyzed using the general linear model procedures of SAS, and Duncan multiple range test was used for mean comparison. Most measured parameters showed significant (P<0.05) difference among the tested vetch species at both locations. Vicia narbonensis and V. sativa had an erect growth habit, short plant height and early maturity for forage and seed yields, while V. dasycarpa, V. villosa and V. atropurpurea had creeping growth habit, tall plant height and intermediate to late maturity for both forage and seed yields. The difference between late and early maturing species for forage harvest was 25.0 days at Holetta and 27.9 days at Ginchi. The difference between taller and shorter plant height at forage harvest was 96.3 cm at Holetta and 141.6 cm at Ginchi. Early maturing species had higher biomass production rate and the difference between higher and lower was 37.5 kg/ha/day at Holetta and 47.8 kg/ha/day at Ginchi. Taller vetch species gave better forage DM yield at forage harvest and the difference between higher and lower was 4.45 t/ha at Holetta and 5.63 t/ha at Ginchi. Early maturing species had shorter grain filling period and the difference between higher and lower was 25.5 and 9.8 days, and higher grain sink filling rate with the difference of 9.2 and 15.0 kg/ha/day at Holetta and Ginchi respectively. Early maturing species had lower number of pods per plant and the difference between higher and lower was 77.7 and 128.5, but higher pod length 2.7 and 2.6 cm, number of seeds per pod 2.7 and 2.6, thousand seed weight 178.8 and 199.8 g and seed yield 0.4 and 0.8 t/ha at Holetta and Ginchi respectively. Creeping species (V. dasycarpa) had comparatively better ash (10.4 and 9.5%), CP (25.8 and 26.0%) and IVDMD (73.4 and 73.2%) at Holetta and Ginchi respectively, but lower fiber (NDF) content than erect species. Generally, vetch species had a great variation in morphological, agronomical and nutritional parameters.
Key words: agronomic performance, forage yield, herbage quality, seed yield, vetch species
How to cite this article: Kebede G (2016). Evaluation of vetch species for yield, yield components and herbage quality in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 4(6): 264-278
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
