EFFECT OF VETCH INTERCROPPING AND HARVESTING STAGES ON MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS, DRY MATTER YIELD, AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF BRACHIARIA GRASS (Urochloa)

This study was conducted at Haramaya University ‘Rare’ research site with an objective to determining the effects of intercropping vetch and harvesting stages on morphological characteristics, dry matter yield and chemical composition of brachiaria grass using a three factor factorial in RCBD with three replications. The three factors were 1) harvesting stages (HS) with five levels: 60, 90 and 120 day, 60 and 90 day of regrowth, 2) five-levels of intercropping: sole basilisk, sole xaraes, and sole vetch, basilisk with vetch, and xaraes with vetch; and 3) grass varieties (two brachiaria). The plot size was 4 m * 3 m (12 m2 ) with a total land area of 59 m * 15 m (885 m2 ). Prior to planting, 150 kg/ha combinations of nitrogen, phosphate and sulfur (NPS) fertilizers were applied to all plots. Root split brachiaria grass and seed of vetch were sown based on the recommended seed rate. Morphological data including plant height (PH), number leaf par plant (NLPP), number of tiller (TN), number of node (NN), leaf length (LL), internode length (INL), plot cover (PC), leaf to stem ratio (LSR), dry matter yield (DMY) and chemical composition (CP, Ash, DM, ADF, NDF, and ADL), were collected by taking five plants from the middle two rows of each plot. Soil samples were collected and analyzed before planting and after harvesting. Soil samples and brachiaria grass samples were analysed for chemical composition at Haramaya University Animal Nutrition and Soil Chemistry Laboratory, respectively. All data were subjected to the GLM ANOVA procedures of SAS JMP® pro 17. The result revealed that harvesting stages and cultivars had significant effect (P