No abstract

This investigation was conducted at the, Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt during 2016 and 2017 summer seasons to study the growth and forage yield of Pearl millet. The experiment was arranged in a split plot design with three replications. The treatments consisted of two cutting dates [early at 56 days after sowing (DAS), and late at 63 DAS for the 1 st cut, and after 35 and 42 days from the 1 st and 2 nd cuts for the 2 nd and 3 rd cuts] respectively and three nitrogen (N) fertilizer levels viz. 15, 30 and 45 kg N/fad./cut. The results indicated that late cutting date significantly produced the highest growth values for each of plant height (238.2 cm), leaf area/plant (4970.2 cm 2 ) and fresh forage weight (164.9 (g)/plant). Also, the highest fresh and dry forage yields (16.88 and 3.541 ton/fad), the highest total fresh seasonal yield (TFSY) and total dry seasonal yield (TDSY) 37.98 and 7.11 ton/fad., were as well recorded by late cutting in both seasons. Apparently, the highest obtained value of each studied growth traits and the forage yield during both growing seasons was achieved by increasing N fertilizer level up to the highest amount (45 kg N/fad./cut), followed by 30 and 15 kg N/fad./cut, respectively. The significant interaction effect between the two studied factors on forage yield indicated that the highest (TDSY) (7.607 ton/fad.) of pearl millet was obtainable at late cutting date under application of 45 kg N/fad./ cut. The results of the present study has concluded that, cutting at 63 DAS followed by 42 and 35 days interval for next cuts (three cuts) with application of 45 kg N/fad./cut is optimum for better growth and yield performance in pearl millet cultivar "Shandaweel 1" under the agro-climatic conditions of Sharkia Governorate in Egypt and similar areas.

Sudan grass is less sensitive to water shortage and produces large amounts of biomass. For these reasons, it is a promising summer forage crop for arid and semiarid regions where natural pastures are rare and water scarcity limits summer forage production. The aim of the present work was to investigate the influence of cutting date (early and late, for three cuts) and three nitrogen (N) fertilizer levels (35, 70, and 105 kg N/ha/cut) on Sudan grass (Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf.). The study was carried out in the experimental farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Egypt, during 2016 and 2017 summer seasons using a split-plot design. The results obtained revealed significant differences between the two cutting dates on growth, forage yield, and quality of Sudan grass. The late cutting date (56 days after sowing DAS and 42 days after the 1st cut) gave the highest values for almost all the growth characters, dry forage yield in addition to total dry yield (TDY) in both seasons. The highest number of shoots/plant (1.911), leaf area/plant (2841.6 cm2), and dry forage weight (g)/plant (76.65 g) were obtained by late cutting (56 DAS) with the application of 105 kg N/ha/cut. The lowest values of these characters were recorded with 35 kg N/ha/cut. Quality parameters were significantly affected by N levels during both seasons, while cutting date significantly affected the protein yield (kg/ha). The interaction result apparently indicated that the highest dry forage yield of Sudan grass (16.26 ton/ha) was achievable at the 1st cut with the application of the highest N level (105 kg N/ha/cut).