Harvesting Strategies for Improved Mixtures of Calliandra and Napier Grass in the Central Kenyan Highlands
| Autor: | O. Z. Nyaata, Michael O’Neill, J. D. H. Keatinge, Peter Dorward |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2002 |
| Předmět: |
Calliandra
biology Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment ved/biology ved/biology.organism_classification_rank.species Sowing Forage Intercropping Development biology.organism_classification Fodder Agronomy Pennisetum purpureum Calliandra calothyrsus Mixed farming Agronomy and Crop Science |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Sustainable Agriculture. 19:77-95 |
| ISSN: | 1540-7578 1044-0046 |
| DOI: | 10.1300/j064v19n03_08 |
| Popis: | Intercropping of the leguminous shrub calliandra (Calliandra calothyrsus) with high yielding Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) has the potential to alleviate the nutritional constraints of livestock on smallholder dairy farms of central Kenya. A study on the harvesting management of calliandra in association with Napier grass for forage production was carried out on a typic Paleustalf soil receiving 906 and 1,465 mm of total annual rainfall during 1996 and 1997, respectively. Pure stands of Napier grass and calliandra were compared with a Napier grass:calliandra mixture in a 2:1 row combination during the first two years after planting. Calliandra was harvested at 2, 4, and 6 month intervals while Napier grass was cut every 2 months. The highest (P < 0.05) level of edible calliandra fodder, fodder quality, and understorey Napier grass production were obtained when calliandra was harvested every two months. In the first few months of establishment, the yield of Napier grass in the mixtures was n... |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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