YIELD AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF MARALFALFA GRASS (Pennisetum sp.) AT DIFFERENT AGES

There is a forage deficit in the state of Durango, Mexico during the dry season; for this reason, it is necessary to study new promising species and varieties for forage production in terms of yield and quality. The study aimed to determine yield, green and dry matter, morphological composition and nutritional value of maralfalfa grass (Pennisetum sp.) at four regrowth ages (60, 90, 120 and 150 d). The study was carried out at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Juarez University of the State of Durango. Fertilizer was applied twice with a dose of 60-00-00 per application. A completely randomized design with six replication was used, the experimental unit consisted of a 1.0 linear m transect. Chemical composition was evaluated in samples of the whole plant and its components (sheets, leaf surface, nodes and internodes). Dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ash (A), ethereal extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), nitrogen-free extract (NFE), fractions of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL), as well as in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and the relative value of the forage (RVF) were determined. Results show that the age of the plant had an effect (P < 0.05) on yield, morphological composition and chemical composition. The content of CP, A, EE, as well as the RVF and IVDMD decreased as the age of the plant increased; on the contrary, the content of NDF and ADF increased. Maralfalfa grass represents a viable option for forage production in acceptable quantity and quality throughout the year in Durango, Mexico.