Adaptation Study of Improved Elephant Grasses (Pennisetum purpureum) and Oats (Avena sativa L) at Haro Sabu, Kelem Wollega zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum),  is a warm-season peren­nial grass, which is widely planted in tropical and subtropical regions of the world .Oats (Avena sativa L) is one of the most important cereal fodder crop grown under irrigated and rain fed conditions. A study was conducted to describe forage yield and adaptability of sixteen accessions of elephant grasses (Pennisetum purpureum) at Haro Sabu Agricultural Research centre and seven oats varieties were conducted at one sub site additionally. These two grasses types (oat and elephants) varieties (Jasary, CI-8251, CI-8235, CI-8237, Bonsa, Bonabas and lampton) andILRI 14984, ILRI 16840 ,ILRI 16784 ILRI 16788, ILRI 16789, ILRI 15743, ILRI 16801, ILRI 14389, ILRI 16898, ILRI 16785were planted by Randomized Complete Block Design  with three replication. Important biological and morphological traits data were exam­ined using statistical analysis. The dry matter yield, total fresh weight, percent of soil coverage was significantly differences (p<0.05) and Sample dry weight was not significantly different (p>0.05).The highest biomass and herbage dry matter yield was obtained from 16840 accession number. Hence it is concluded that from the accessions of elephant grasses adapted at Haro Sabu Agricultural research centre ILRI16840, ILRI16784, ILRI16801 and ILRI15743 accessions were took highest dry matter and biomass yields. Regarding to oat varieties it was observed that analyses of data from Hawa Galan sites revealed very highly significant varietal differences (P < 0.05) that were four weeks germination, eight weeks germination, and 50% flowering stage. Whereas there were significantdifferences at 5% probability level among oat varieties for four weeks soil cover and total fresh weight under Hawa Galan site (table.1). With regard to eight weeks soil cover, there was no difference (p>0.05) in percent between oat variety treatment. It is concluded that Bonabas, Bonsa, Ci-8237 and Jasary showed better performance and adapted varieties as well as beside to dry matter and biomass yields.

Keywords: -Adaptation, Elephant Grass (Pennisetum purpureum) accession, herbage yield, Oat grasses (Avena sativa)