GROWTH COMPONENTS AND FORAGE YIELD OF Panicum mombasa AS INFLUENCED BY NPK (20:10:10) FERTILIZER RATES

Abstract

The study was conducted during the 2024 rainy season to evaluate the growth and forage yield of Panicum mombasa as influenced by NPK (20:10:10) fertilizer rates at different ages. It was laid out in 4 x 4 factorial in split-plot design and replicated 3 times with fertilizer levels (0, 50, 100, and 150 Kg/ha NPK 20:10:10) as main plot and harvest time (4, 8, 12 and 16 WAS) as sub-plot. There was a significant (P<0.05) effect of NPK (20:10:10) fertilizer rates on plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, tiller numbers, and fresh and dry forage yields. Higher plant height (87.20cm), number of leaves (25.28), leaf length (62.22cm), leaf width (3.73cm), tiller number (7.46), fresh (12.64 t/ha) and dry (6.78 t/ha) forage yields were obtained at 150 kg/ha NPK. Significantly, the age at harvest  affected the growth components and fresh and dry forage yields in which higher plant height (107.72cm), number of leaves (33.01), leaf length (81.22cm), leaf width (5.43cm), tiller numbers (9.37), fresh (16.80 t/ha) and dry (5.24 t/ha) forage yields were recorded at 150 kg/ha NPK for P. mombasa. There was a non-significant (P>0.05) interaction effect between fertilizer rates and age of harvest on growth components and fresh and dry forage yields of P. mombasa.  In conclusion, the growth components, and fresh and dry forage yields of P. mombasa forage were improved when NPK fertilizer was applied at 150 kg/ha while P. mombasa forage harvested at 12WAS gave higher growth and better forage yield. It can be recommended that for better growth and yield of P. mombasa forage, 150 kg/ha NPK (20:10:10) should be applied and harvested at 12WAS.