Effect of Harvesting Stage and Cutting Interval on Herbage Yield and Quality of Desho Grass Under Irrigation at Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center

The experiment was conducted at Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center (on station) for two consecutive years (2021-2022) with the objective to evaluate the effect of harvesting stage and cutting intervals on herbage dry matter yield, other agronomic performances, nutritive value and economic advantages of Desho grass variety (KK1-DZF # 591) produced under irrigation. The treatment contained three levels of harvesting stages (60, 75, and 90) and three cutting times (30, 45 and 60 days). The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design in factorial arrangement with three replications. The data collected from the current study were herbage dry matter yield, yield related agronomic parameters, and chemical composition of the grass. The analysis of variance indicated that plant height, leave length, leaf to stem ratio and herbage dry matter yield were showed significance (P<0.001) variations among the treatments. The highest plant height was recorded from advanced age at cutting interval 60 days and the lowest was from the early harvesting at 30 days. The highest herbage dry matter yield was recorded from treatment harvested every 45 days of cutting interval, after a maximum age of 75, this was due to high number of tillers recorded. The lowest values were recorded long stages of harvesting (90 and 75 days) with long cutting interval (60 days). The highest cutting frequencies were recorded from early harvesting stage (60 days) of cutting interval after every month (30 days) and the lowest was from late harvesting stage (90 days) of cutting interval after two months (60 days). CP, ash NDF and, ADF contents of Desho grass was affected by harvesting stage and cutting interval. The highest mean values of CP and ash contents were recorded from early harvested forage at 30 and 45 days than 60 days of cutting intervals and the lowest was recorded from late of cutting interval. The highest returns were obtained from forage harvested at every 45 days after reach maximum age of 75 days at both seasons. 75x45 treatment combination was good in total dry biomass yield, chemical compositions and high return. Therefore, Desho grass established under irrigation condition harvested after the harvesting stage of 75 days with cutting interval 45 days was recommended for the end user of the study area and similar agro ecology.