Agronomical and Quality Performance of Rhodes Grass (Chloirs gayanaKunth) Cultivars Under Different Nitrogen Levels and Production Systems in the Sudan

Research experiment and field survey were conducted during 2016 – 2018 to study the effect of variety and nitrogen fertilization on the agronomic andquality performance of Rhodes grass and to investigate the husbandry  practices of Rhodes grass in the major production systems in the Sudan. The experiment was conducted in Shambat (2016-2017) in the demonstration farm of the College of Agricultural Studies, Sudan University of Science and Technology. Two Rhodess grass varieties (Fine Cut and Reclaimer) and three nitrogen levels (60kg N /ha, 120kg N /ha and 0.0kg N /ha (Control) were studied across seven cuts. The treatments were replicated four times in split plot experiment with fertilizer doses assigned to the main plots and the varieties to the sub-plots. The data collected included agronomic (forage yield and related traits) and quality traits (NDF, ADF, CP). The field survey (2017- 2018) was conducted in 15 projects covering Khartoum, River Nile and Northern States. The questionnaire was designed to comprehend the major features of Rhodes grass production as compared to Alfalfa under two production systems based on Pivot and surface (Border) irrigation method The questionnaire data were subjected to descriptive and regression analysis. Differences between varieties and their interaction with cuts were not significant for forage yield. Differences between fertilizer doses for dry yield and their interaction with cuts were highly significant. The nitrogen dose 120kgN/ha significantly increased forage yield and plant height over 60kgN/ha and the control with yield increment of 118%. The dose 60kgN/ha failed to show significant increase in yield over the control. The highest forage yield was obtained in the first cut after establishment then started to decease. The nitrogen dose 120kgN/ha maintained comparatively high forage yield throughout the subsequent cuts. Differences between varieties were not significant for Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) and Crude protein (CP). Nitrogen dose and cutting age have significant effect on NDF and ADF. Crude protein was significantly affected by cutting age but not nitrogen dose. The interaction effect of nitrogen dose and cutting age was significant for NDF and ADF. The dose 60kgN/ha gave desirable ADF percentage compared to 120kgN/ha whereas the opposite is true for NDF. Cutting age at 182 and 268 days resulted in desirable ADF percentage compared to 75 day whereas the opposite is true for NDF. Crude protein was the best at cutting age of 75 day compared to 182 day.