Comparative yield and nutrient contents between rainfed and irrigated Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) in Bauchi State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the dry matter yield and content of Bermuda (Cynodon dactylon) grasses. The materials were grown at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi in 2020 and 2021 rainy and dry seasons and the mean of the two years for each respective season was used as data for this study. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design where growing season constituted the treatments and agronomic measurements were carried out at week 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12, respectively. C. dactylon was established on a 0.5ha paddock by transplantation of sprigs from the wild for both seasons establishment and irrigated experimental plots received sprinkler irrigation twice-weekly. The dry matter yield (t/ha), leaf dry matter (%), stem dry matter (%) and total dry matter (%) were measured. The results obtained indicated.
Dry matter yield, leaf, stem and total dry matter (%) all increased as weeks increased (P<0.01) both in the rainy and dry season C. dactylon. Furthermore, dry matter and other yield contents were all higher in rainy than dry season C.
dactylon except dry matter yield for rainfed at weeks 10 and 12 (6.63 and 7.52 t/ha), leaf dry matter for both rainy and dry season at weeks 10 and 12 (55.94-56.45 and 42.97-43.81 t/ha, respectively). The yield of Bermuda grass was better in the rainy season than dry season while the forage quality was better for dry season Cynodon dactylon. However, dry season Cynodon dactylon ensured sustainable production of good quality hay for animals during the dry season period