One of the most pressing issues facing the dairy industry is drought. In areas where annual precipitation is low, irrigation for growing feed presents the greatest water-utilization challenge for dairy producers. Here, we investigated the effects of cultivar and harvest days after planting (DAP) on dry matter (DM) yield and nutritive value of teff (Eragrostis tef), a warm-season annual grass native to Ethiopia that is well adapted to drought conditions. Eighty pots were blocked by location in a greenhouse and randomly assigned to four teff cultivars (Tiffany, Moxie, Corvallis, and Dessie) and to five harvest times (40, 45, 50, 55, or 60 DAP). Cultivars had no effect on DM yield and nutritive value. As harvest time increased from 40 to 60 DAP, DM yield and ash-free neutral detergent fiber (aNDFom) concentrations increased, while crude protein (CP) concentrations and in vitro NDF digestibility decreased. To assess carryover effects of time of harvest on yield and nutritive value, two additional cuttings were taken from each pot. Increasing first-cutting harvest time decreased CP concentrations in the second cutting and reduced DM yields in the second and third cutting. Harvesting teff between 45 and 50 DAP best optimized forage yield and nutritive value in the first and subsequent cuttings.
Keywords: Drought; Dry matter yield; Eragrostis tef; Nutritive value.
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