Effects of different ratios of associations of forage grasses and herbaceous legumes on the bio-mass yield in Bale highland, Ethiopia

The experiment was conducted from ۲۰۱۰/۱۱ to ۲۰۱۲/۱۳ with the objectives of identifying the appropriate types and level of grass-legume association for pasture productivity improvement in highlands of Bale. Accordingly, two herbaceous forage grasses phalaris aquatica L. and Panicum coloratumL. Were integrated with two varieties of herbaceous forage legumes; Medicago sativa l. and Trifolium repens L. in different association ratio. The mean result of six season analyzed data revealed a significant difference (p<۰.۰۵) between associations of different forage legumes and grasses as well as different proportions. According to this result, the association of all types of forages ۵۰% legumes to ۵۰% grasses has shown a better result. Association of ۵۰% alfalfa and ۵۰% phalaris, and ۷۵% phalaris and ۲۵ % alfalfa has shown the average dry matter yield of ۱۵.۷±۳.۴ tone/ha with ۴۰.۸% legume and ۱۴.۰±۳.۴ tone/ha with ۴۵% legume DM yield respectively. Phalaris ۷۵% with white clover ۲۵% has shown the high yield of ۱۵.۵±۳.۴ t/ha with only ۰.۸ t/ha white clover. This result indicates that the ۵۰%/۵۰% and ۷۵% /۲۵% proportion of phalaris and alfalfa is a good dry bio-mass yielder and can satisfy the best requirement of grass to legume composition of the pasture.

کلیدواژه ها:

Grasses ، Legumes ، Associations