Dry Matter Production of Tropical Grasses and Legumes and its Seasonal Change in Thailand

Abstract

At Pakchong Forage Crop Station, Thailand, a total of fifty species or strains of tropical grasses and legumes was introduced and cultivated to study dry matter production and its seasonal change. The leading species, as far as yield was concerned, throughout the two years of the test period (1973-1974), was napiergrass. Its dry matter production from the high fertilizer plots in 1974 was 75.6tons/ha, which is now regarded as one of the highest yields recorded in tropical pastures. Other high yielding species or strains included hybrid napiergrass, Jaraguagrass, buffelgrass, Rhodesgrass and those grasses belonging to the Panicum species such as Guineagrass, colored Guineagrass, blue panicgrass and green panicgrass. Of the grasses of the decumbent type, signalgrass, paragrass and Alabang X achieved a high yield, the dry matter production of each of them exceeding 20 tons/ha in 1974. In contrast, all of the legumes tested attained only low production ; with only glycine giving yield exceeding 10 tons/ha. Although, in general, high-yielding varieties responded well to fertilizer application, such effect varied greatly depending on the species, and some of them responded to fertilizer application only slightly or almost not at all. Fertilizer application had the effect of increasing crude protein content both in grasses and legumes. Seasonal production patterns had two peaks, one around April and another around October, showing a close correlation with the rainfall distribution. If enough water is supplied, the tropical grasses and legumes tolerate satisfactorily frequent defoliations.