Effects of Reseeding of Some Range Plant Species on the Biomass Production of Rangelands in Sheikan Locality - North Kordofan State - Sudan

Abstract

This experiment was conducted at El Obeid Research Station Farm at Bannu area, Sheikan Locality, North Kordofan State, over two seasons 2009/10 and 2010/11. The objective was to investigate the effect of re-seeding on range plant biomass production, botanical composition, density and vegetation cover percent. On average, the total plant density at the reseeded range was 307 plant/m² compared with 224 plant/m² in the control. The vegetation cover percent at the flowering stage at the reseeded site was 74.8% compared with 43.0% in the control, while at the seed setting stage it was 70.6% and 41.8% at the reseeded and control sites, respectively. Biomass productivity at flowering stage was 2.13 (ton/ha) and 1.82 (ton/ha) at reseeded and control sites, respectively compared with that at seed setting stage of 1.89 (ton/ha) at the reseeded range and 1.68 (ton/ha) at the control. These differences were highly significant (P<0.001). The differences in biomass productivity between the two sites is probably due to the management system, where broadcasting of seeds of some species increased plant density and led to a reduction in bare soil percent consequence increased biomass productivity.