EFFECT OF CUTTING INTERVAL AND CUTTING HEIGHT ON PRODUCTIVITY AND NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF NAPIER GRASS (Pennisetum purpureum) GROWN IN COASTAL SOIL

ABSTRACT

We investigated the interaction effects of cutting height and cutting interval on the agronomic growth parameters and nutrient composition of BLRI Napier-4 forage genotype. The experimental was laid out in a factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two factors having factor A cutting height e.g., T1 (0 cm), T2 (5 cm), T₃ (10 cm), T4 (15) and factor B cutting interval e.g., C₁ (60 day), C₂ (75 day) and C₃ (90 day) with 3 replications at Dr. Purnendu Gain field laboratory, Khulna University, Khulna. The interaction effects of cutting height and cutting interval has significant effects (p<0.05) on plant height and leaf length. The results was highly significant (p<0.005) among all the interaction on biomass, leaf number and leaf width. But no significant effect between the interactions of cutting height and cutting interval on tiller number and stem diameter. Among all the interactions, highest biomass was found in T₃C₃ (109.36 t ha^-1) and the lowest was found in T₁C₁ (14.68 t ha^-1). Highest tiller number and plant height was found in T₃C₁ (10.58) and T₃C₃ (235.49 cm), respectively and lowest value was found in T₁C₁ (6.73) and T₄C₁ (100 cm), respectively. Highest leaf number (13.33) was also found in T₃C₃. There was no significant effect of the interactions on nutrition content. Highest DM (20.72%) and CF (33.88%) content was found in T₄C₃. Highest CP (9.84%), ash (13.64%) and moisture (81.17%) content was found in T₃C₁ and T₃C₃, respectively. It may be concluded that 10 cm cutting height with 90 days of cutting interval (T₃C₃) was found best interaction in respect of all agronomic growth parameters. Keywords: BLRI Napier-4, Cutting Height, Cutting Interval

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