Forage Growth and Yield of Crotalaria senegalensis and Dactyloctenium aegyptium in Mixtures and Purestand under the rainfed conditions

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out on a heavy cracking clay of Genan rain-fed agricultural area Gadarif State, east Sudan, to study growth and forage yield of Crotolaria senegalensis (C. s) and Dactyloctinium aegyptium (D. a)in mixture and pure-stand. Five cropping systems were used pure-stand of Crotolaria senegalensis (100% C. s), pure-stand of Dactyloctinium aegyptium (100% D. a), (75% C. s + 25% D. a), (50% C. s + 50% D. a) and (25% C. s + 75% D. a). The experiment was laid in a completely randomized design with four replicates. Parameters studied were plant density, plant height, No. of leaves per plant, No. of branches per plant, No. tillers per plant, plant dry weight and forage yield. Data were statistically analyzed using SAS software and mean separation was carried out using Duncan method (MDRT). Results revealed that purestand of C. senegalensis produced the highest crop density, when compared to purestand of D. aegyptium and mixtures. It was evident that increase of C. senegalensis in the mixture proportions, significantly increased crop height, no. of leaves/plant, plant dry weight and forage yield of C. senegalensis and total forage yield. Increase of proportion D. aegyptium in the mixture significantly increased its no. of tillers/plant, plant dry weight and forage yield, but decreased total forage yield of mixtures. The study concluded that the competitiveness of C. senegalesis was higher when compared to D. aegyptium under condition of the present study.