Early Growth of Panicum sarmentosum Roxb. – A Promising Grass in Livestock - Coconut Integration System

Abstract

Coconut plantations have been long widely used as growing area. In Central Sulawesi this integrated system traditionally plays important roles in small scale farmers. In Central Sulawesi, the system is suitable and productive forage genotypes are important aspect for the production systems. Panicum sarmentosum and Panicum maximum were compared in a plot trial under coconut plantation at Lalombi of Lembasada village, South Banawa, district of Donggala. The treatments: P. sarmentosum, P. maximum, P. sarmentosum with Desmanthus virgatus, and P. maximum with D. virgatus were replicated 5 times. The 20 experimental units were arranged in completely block randomized design. This paper reports plant height, number of tiller, and herbage production at the early growth, 8 weeks after planting, of the grasses. The study has shown that P. sarmentosum grew better than P. maximum, both on grass monoculture, and on mixed-with desmanthus. P. sarmentosum and P. maximum did not differ statistically in plant heights, neither without (149.3 cm vs. 141.7 cm), nor with desmanthus (138.7 cm vs. 133.9 cm). Nevertheless, the number of tillers and dry forage yields of P.sarmentosum was significantly higher than those of P. maximum, both without and with desmanthus, i.e.; 145 vs. 81 and 124 vs. 75, and 425.6 vs. 235.1 kg/ha and 316.5 vs. 141.2 kg/ha, respectively. The correlation of these two attributes is also significantly high (R2 = 0.9132). This result has suggested that P. sarmentosum grows better than P. maximum that well adapts under shade. It is concluded, therefore, P. sarmentosum is another promising grass for use in shaded niches.