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Table 2 Effect of altitude, cutting age and their interaction on chemical composition and yield of Bracheria grass ecotypes

From: Evaluation of morphological characteristics, yield and nutritive value of Brachiaria grass ecotypes in northwestern Ethiopia

Factors

Parameters

Cultivar

DM (%)

DMY (t/ha)

Ash (%)

CP (%)

CPY (t/ha)

NDF (%)

ADF (%)

ADL (%)

Eth. 13726

 Altitude

  Low

37.60a

4.24

8.97

9.81

0.33

71.70

50.99

14.46

  Mid

36.55b

4.63

9.66

12.36

0.47

67.57

51.02

16.57

  High

35.99b

3.28

13.98

11.51

0.34

69.42

50.29

14.87

  Sig

**

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

 Harvesting stages

  60

35.03c

1.69b

12.67

16.33a

0.29

63.87b

42.14b

11.84

  90

36.64b

3.63ab

10.85

10.63ab

0.42

68.72ab

52.73a

15.37

  120

38.47a

6.83a

9.10

6.72b

0.44

76.11a

57.44a

18.69

  Mean

36.71

4.05

10.87

11.23

0.38

69.56

50.77

15.30

  SE

0.55

0.83

1.06

1.55

0.05

1.99

2.38

1.18

  Sig

**

*

NS

*

NS

*

**

NS

Eth. 13809

 Altitude

  Low

38.77a

7.26a

15.40a

14.93a

1.04a

65.26

41.85

10.64

  Mid

38.13b

5.98ab

9.15b

10.54b

0.57b

66.85

44.96

11.99

  High

36.35c

4.50b

12.48a

8.57b

0.36b

64.31

43.60

10.75

  Sig

***

**

**

**

**

NS

NS

NS

 Harvesting stages

  60

36.58c

2.95c

12.35

13.87a

0.43b

59.91

39.11b

9.12b

  90

37.70b

6.51b

11.83

10.60b

0.72ab

63.89

42.18ab

10.54ab

  120

38.96a

8.28a

12.85

9.57b

0.83a

72.62

49.11a

13.72a

  Mean

37.75

5.91

12.34

11.35

0.66

65.47

43.47

11.13

  SE

0.50

0.89

0.95

1.156

0.12

2.40

1.65

0.80

  Sig

***

***

NS

**

*

NS

*

NS

Eth. 1377

 Altitude

  Low

36.96a

6.28a

12.30

13.04

0.75a

67.57

48.57

13.38

  Mid

35.14b

4.68b

11.47

11.17

0.47b

63.81

43.07

12.93

  High

35.04b

4.30b

10.03

8.60

0.34b

71.80

48.79

13.61

  Sig

***

**

NS

NS

*

NS

NS

NS

 Harvesting stages

  60

34.85c

2.65c

11.58

14.80a

0.41

61.01

40.70b

9.94b

  90

35.57b

5.72b

9.75

10.15b

0.60

68.64

47.65a

14.28a

  120

36.72a

6.89a

12.47

7.86b

0.54

73.52

52.08a

15.70a

  Mean

35.71

5.09

11.27

10.94

0.52

67.72

46.81

13.31

  SE

0.42

0.71

0.72

1.26

0.07

2.47

1.97

0.92

  Sig

**

***

NS

*

NS

NS

**

*

  1. DM dry matter, DMY dry matter yield, CP crude protein, CPY crude protein yield, NDF neutral detergent fiber, ADF acid detergent fiber, ADL acid detergent lignin, SE standard error, CV coefficient of variation
  2. Mean values followed by a different lowercase superscript letter in the same column are statistically significant at P < 0.05. NS for non-significant, * for P < 0.05 (5%), ** for P < 0.01 (1%) and *** for P < 0.001 (0.1%)