Effects of different ratios of associations of forage grasses and herbaceous legumes on the bio-mass yield in Bale highland, Ethiopia

Abstract

The experiment was conducted from 2010/11 to 2012/13 with the objectives of identifying the appropriate types and level of grass-legume association for pasture productivity improvement in highlands of Bale. Accordingly, two herbaceous forage grasses phalaris aquatica L. and Panicum coloratumL. Were integrated with two varieties of herbaceous forage legumes; Medicago sativa l. and Trifolium repens L. in different association ratio. The mean result of six season analyzed data revealed a significant difference (p<0.05) between associations of different forage legumes and grasses as well as different proportions. According to this result, the association of all types of forages 50% legumes to 50% grasses has shown a better result. Association of 50% alfalfa and 50% phalaris, and 75% phalaris and 25 % alfalfa has shown the average dry matter yield of 15.7±3.4 tone/ha with 40.8% legume and 14.0±3.4 tone/ha with 45% legume DM yield respectively. Phalaris 75% with white clover 25% has shown the high yield of 15.5±3.4 t/ha with only 0.8 t/ha white clover. This result indicates that the 50%/50% and 75% /25% proportion of phalaris and alfalfa is a good dry bio-mass yielder and can satisfy the best requirement of grass to legume composition of the pasture.