Home / Regular Issue / JTAS Vol. 44 (3) Aug. 2021 / JTAS-2309-2021

 

Effects of Cutting Process and Drying Period using Sunlight on Hay Quality of Dwarf Napier Grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and Asystasia gangetica

Muhammad Arif Kamruzali, Mohammad Mijanur Rahman, Khairiyah Mat, Nor Dini Rusli and Nafiatul Umami

Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, Volume 44, Issue 3, August 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47836/pjtas.44.3.11

Keywords: Asystasia gangetica, drying period, dwarf Napier grass, hay quality, Pennisetum purpureum, sunlight

Published on: 30 August 2021

This study aims to determine the effect of the cutting process and drying period using sunlight on the hay quality of dwarf Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and Asystasia gangetica. Hay quality of both species was evaluated in a completely randomised design corresponding to five drying periods (one to five days), with or without cutting process, with three replicates. Both plants were harvested at a vegetative stage and then divided into two portions: unchopped and chopped. Plants were dried using sunlight for the respective drying period, and hay quality was examined in physical and chemical analyses. Each sample was analysed for dry matter (DM) content. The A. gangetica at four days drying period and Napier grass at five days drying period were selected for chemical analysis. Results showed that the physical characteristics of hays for both plants were not affected by the drying periods and cutting process. Asystasia gangetica achieved higher DM content than Napier grass for almost all drying periods. For Napier grass, the three days were drying periods that achieved the desirable DM content (>85.0%), while two days were drying periods for A. gangetica. Napier grass contained higher crude fibre and ether extract contents than A. gangetica, while crude protein content appeared vice versa. The nutritive values of both plants were not affected by the cutting process. In conclusion, Napier grass’s three days drying periods and a two days drying period of A. gangetica can achieve the desirable DM content under sunny conditions.

  • Association of Official Analytical Chemists. (2000). Official methods of analysis (17th ed.). AOAC International.

  • Evans, J. K. (1975). The effects of weather on hay production. http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/agr/agr45/agr45.htm

  • Halim, R. A., Shampazuraini, S., & Idris, A. B. (2013). Yield and nutritive quality of nine Napier grass varieties in Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Animal Science, 16(2), 37−44.

  • Lemus, R. (2020). Hay storage: Dry matter losses and quality changes. http://pss.uvm.edu/pdpforage/Materials/CuttingMgt/Hay_Storage_DM_Losses_MissSt.pdf

  • Mapato, C., & Wanapat, M. (2018). Comparison of silage and hay of dwarf Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) fed to Thai native beef bulls. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 50(7), 1473–1477. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-018-1582-y

  • Rahman, M. M., Mustapher, M. N. B., Mat, K. B., Utamy, R. F., & Nor, M. M. (2020). Effect of substituting concentrate with dwarf Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) on intake, growth and carcass composition of rabbits. Hasanuddin Journal of Animal Science, 2(1), 1–8.

  • Rocateli, A., & Zhang, H. (2017). Evaluating hay quality based on sight, smell and feel – Hay judging. https://shareok.org/bitstream/handle/11244/317990/oksa_pss_2588_2015-12.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

  • Shewfelt, R. L. (1990). Sources of variation in the nutrient content of agricultural commodities from the farm to the consumer. Journal of Food Quality, 13(1), 37–54. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-4557.1990.tb00004.x

  • Sobayo, R. A., Adeyemi, O. A., Sodipe, O. G., Oso, A. O., Fafiolu, A. O., Ogunade, I. M., Iyasere, O. S., & Omoniyi, L. A. (2012). Growth response of broiler birds fed Asystasia gangetica leaf meal in hot humid environment. Journal of Agricultural Science and Environment, 12(1), 53–59.

  • Tripathi, H. P., Singh, A. P., Upadhyay, V. S., Kessels, H. P. P., Harika, A. S., Singh, S., & Ibrahim, M. N. M. (1995). Forage conservation, storage and feeding. In K. Singh & J. B. Schiere (Eds.), Handbook for straw feeding systems (pp. 303–324). ICAR.

  • Vough, L. R. (2000). Evaluating hay quality. https://extension.umd.edu/sites/default/files/202104/Evaluating%20Hay%20Fact%20Sheet%20FS644.pdf

ISSN 1511-3701

e-ISSN 2231-8542

Article ID

JTAS-2309-2021

Download Full Article PDF

Share this article

Recent Articles