FORAGE DEVELOPMENT
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♦ Fertilizer requirement: Apply 20–40 kg
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P/ha at planting. ♦ Companion species: Oats (Avena sativa). Utilization: As conserved fodder (hay) crop in mixture with oats; good for under-sowing maize and sorghum; excellent as pioneer crop. Productivity: Up to 6 t/ha DM as pure stand. Reproduction: Cross-pollinated. Seed yield 400–1000 kg/ha. Special merits: Excellent as pioneer crop and as fodder crop for haymaking.
8.3.2. Temperate perennial forage crops
Cocks foot (Orchard grass) (Dactylis glomerata L.)
Figure 8.11. Cocks foot (Dactylis glomerata).
• Botanical description: Tufted perennial (Figure 8.11). • Adaptation: Highland adaptive, cold- and frost-tolerant. ♦ Altitude range: Highlands 2000–3000 m.a.s.l. ♦ Climatic requirement: Mean annual rainfall 400–1500 mm, cold- and frosttolerant. ♦ Soil requirement: Versatile in its soil requirement provided drainage is adequate. • Cultivation: Requires a well-prepared Figure 8.12. White clover (Trifolium repens L.). seedbed. ♦ Propagation: By seed, sown at the rate of 2 kg/ha. ♦ Fertilizer requirement: Responds well to N and P application. ♦ Companion species: Trifolium alexandrinum, Vicia dasycarpa, Vicia villosa, Lathyrus sativus.
• Utilization: Grazing or cutting should be moderate, sensitive to both under-use and over-use. Mainly utilized for mixed pastures. • Productivity: Up to 5–9 t/ha DM. • Reproduction: Seed production up to 200 kg/ha. • Special merits: Cold- and frost-tolerant; good for grazing pastures for dairy industries.
White clover (Trifolium repens L.) • Botanical description: Trailing perennial legume up to 30 cm high (Figure 8.12). Sheep and Goat Production Handbook for Ethiopia