ARJASR |
Academic Research Journal of
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Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research Vol. 5(5), pp. 366-379. September, 2017. ISSN: 2360-7874 DOI: 10.14662/ARJASR2017.043 Full Length Research Comparative performance of five maize varieties as livestock feed in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia
Asheber Tegegna,*, Frédéric Baudronb, Dagne Wegaryb
a Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research, Melkassa Agricultural Research Center, P.O. Box 436, Adama, Ethiopia; b CIMMYT-Ethiopia, Shola Campus, ILRI, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. * Corresponding author: Asheber Tegegn, Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research, Melkassa Agricultural Research Center, P.O. Box 436, Adama, Ethiopia e-mail: ashebertegegn@gmail.com
Accepted 14 August 2017
The
performance of five maize varieties as livestock feed in the Rift Valley
of Ethiopia was assessed. The varieties included in this study were one
released open pollinated variety - Melkassa-2 - one released hybrid -
BH-140 - and three candidate hybrids - MH-130, MHQ-138, and SC-403. The
quantity of stover produced was poorly correlated to maize grain yield
(r = 0.47; P < 0.001) and no difference in grain yield and stover
production was found among the five varieties. Stem was the
morphological fraction with the lowest crude protein (CP) concentration
(mean value of 22 g kg-1 DM) and the highest neutral detergent fiber (NDF)
concentration (mean value of 852.5 g kg-1 DM). Leaf blade was the
fraction with the highest CP concentration (mean value of 50.9 g kg-1
DM) and the lowest NDF concentration (mean value of 564.7 g kg-1 DM).
MHQ-138 was found to have the lowest proportion of stem (53%) and the
highest proportion of leaf blade (26%). Conversely, BH-140 was found to
have the highest proportion of stem (66%) and the lowest proportion of
leaf blade (19%). This resulted in significant differences between
varieties in their total stover NDF content (P < 0.1): SC403 and BH-140
were the varieties with the highest NDF concentrations (mean Value of
717 gkg-1 DM for both) and MH-130, MHQ-138 and Melkassa-2 were the
varieties with the lowest (mean value of 684, 692 and 695 g kg-1 DM,
respectively). The present data indicated variation on proportion of
morphological fractions among varieties resulted in variation nutritive
values between maize varieties suggesting possibility of considering
maize varieties being both high yielding and producing stover with good
nutritional value.
How to cite this article: Tegegna A, Baudron F, Wegary D (2017). Comparative performance of five maize varieties as livestock feed in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 5(5): 366-379
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