Yields, Silage Quality, Chemical Composition and Fibre Fractions As Impacted By Fertilizer Treatments in Brachiaria Ruziziensis (Congo Grass).

Abstract

This study was aimed at verifying the impacts of various fertilizer treatments on the yields, physicochemical characteristics, and quality of silages of Brachiaria ruziziensis (BR). 4 plots of BR were fertilized with three different fertilizer treatments arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The fertilizer treatments include control (T1), Natsoil organic fertilizer (T2), Wonder organic fertilizer (T3), and poultry manure (T4), with each treatment replicated four times. The grass was harvested after 50 days of sowing BR seeds. The fresh herbage and dry matter yields were estimated immediately after harvesting, then silages were made from the harvested BR grass, with physicochemical characteristics of the silage examined after 21 days. 16 samples of silage were also prepared for the analysis of chemical compositions. It was revealed that fertilizer treatments had a notable influence (p<0.05) on the fresh herbage and dry matter yield of BR. Wonder fertilized BR (T3) was superior to others in both yields, with 18.38 tons/ha and 6.90tons/ha respectively, followed by poultry manure fertilized BR (16.66tons/ha and 6.19tons/ha) and Natsoil fertilized BR (14.05tons/ha and 5.23tons/ha). The study showed that physicochemical characteristics were not impacted by fertilizer treatments (p>0.05), the values obtained were within the range recognized as a good silage quality. Fertilizer treatments considerably affected (p<0.05) the crude protein, crude fibre, and cellulose. The highest value of CP (6.00%) and the lowest CF (28.86%) were recorded in Wonder fertilized BR, while, lowest CP (5.25%) and highest CF (30.23%) were obtained in the control. It can be concluded that BR fertilized with Wonder fertilizer is a better forage option due to improved yield and silage chemical composition. Feeding such silage to animals will result in improved performance.