Growth and Yield Response of Signal Grass (Brachiaria decumbens Stapf) Applied with Different Rates of Nitrogen Fertilizer

Authors : Gina Arcuino AGUİNOD, Nello GORNE

Pages : 87-94

Doi:10.47947/ijnls.756648

View : 24 | Download : 17

Publication Date : 2020-12-01

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Application of fertilizers is essential to sustain the yield of forage crops, hence, this study was conducted to: 1); evaluate the effect of different nitrogen fertilization rates on the growth and yield of signal grass and 2); determine the appropriate nitrogen fertilization rate for optimum production of signal grass. It was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(RCBD); with three replications and five treatments insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(T0 – Unfertilized, T1 – 30 kg N ha-1; T2 – 60 kg N ha-1; T3 – 90 kg N ha-1 and T4 – 120 kg N ha-1);. The plant height, number of tillers hill-1, fresh herbage yield and dry matter yield of signal grass were significantly affected by the different rates of nitrogen fertilizer. Increasing the levels of N fertilization correspondingly improved its overall performance with plants applied with 120 kg N ha-1 having the tallest, most number of tillers and heaviest fresh herbage and dry matter yields among fertilized plants. However, the appropriate fertilization rate for optimum production was 90 kg N ha-1 as the aforementioned parameters were comparable to that of the higher rate yet of lower amount of N fertilizer needed resulting in lower production cost and higher income.
Keywords : application, herbage, Dry matter, Forage crop, Inorganic fertilizer