Influence of manure application during cultivation on in vitro gas and post incubation parameters of nine Pennisetum purpureum varieties

Abstract

Forages are generally available in the tropics yet the issue related with their utilization is low efficiency and
nutritional contents whereby seasonal variations in pasture productivity were the significant constraint to
their availability for use throughout the year. This research was carried out to evaluate the Influence of
manure application during cultivation on in vitro gas production and post-incubation parameters of nine (9)
different Pennisetum purpureum varieties. The experiment was a 9 x 3 factorial arrangement in split plot
design which comprises of nine (9) P. purpureum varieties (Abeokuta 1, Abeokuta 2, F1 Hybrid, Green
Local, Purple Local, Sugarcane, South Africa, S13 and S15) and three (3) manure types (control, swine and
cattle). Results showed that the in vitro gas production of different P. purpureum varieties as affected by
manure type were significant (p < 0.05). Unfertilized varieties had the highest volume of gas produced
(17.14ml/200mgDM) at the end of the 48 hours incubation periods and the green local variety recorded the
gas volume of 18.33ml/200mgDM at the end of the 48hours incubation. The post incubation parameters
showed that manure type (p>0.05) had no effect on the short chain fatty acid (SCFA) and Metabolizable
energy (ME) in the varieties of P. purpureum while the values for organic matter digestibility (OMD) was
significantly (p < 0.05) ranged from 33.68% in unfertilized varieties to 35.72% when swine manure was
applied. It is concluded that green variety of P. purpureum will be the best for ruminant feeding in this
study