Comparison of Growth Characteristics, Forage Production and Feed Values of Bermudagrass, Teffgrass and Kleingrass as Annual Forage Crop in Summer

Hyung Soo Park*, Ki Choon Choi, Ji Hea Kim, Sang-Hoon Lee and Jong Seong JungNational Institute of Animal Science, Cheonan, 330-801, KoreaABSTRACTThis study was conducted from 2013 to 2014 to explore the feasibility of the cultivation of warm-season grass as an annual Korean forage crop, while concurrently evaluating the characteristics and forage production of warm-season grass in Korea. The experimental design was a randomized block design(RBD) with three replications. Five bermudagrass[Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] cultivars, two teffgrass(Paspalum notatum Flugge) cultivars, and a Kleingrass[Panicum coloratum L.] cultivar were compared for forage production and quality in the middle region of Korea. After seeding, the numbers of days until seedling emergence for bermudagrass and kleingrass were observed at approximately day 11 and day 12, respectively. The heading dates of teffgrass and kleingrass were on July 12 and July 26, respectively. The dry matter(DM) yield of bermudagrass Tifton 85 was usually greater than the other entries. The crude protein content(CPC) and total digestibility nutrient(TDN) for the teffgrass cultivars were usually greater than the other entries at all study sites. The acid detergent fiber(ADF) and in vitro DM digestibility(IVDMD) were similar across all cultivars. (Key words :Warm season grass, Production, Feed value, Bermudagrass, Teffgrass)