EFFECT OF NITROGEN FERTILIZATION AND HARVESTING INTERVALS ON THE YIELD AND FORAGE QUALITY OF ELEPHANT GRASS (PENNISETUM PURPUREUM) UNDER MESIC CLIMATE OF POTHOWAR PLATEAU

The study was conducted at National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) Islamabad during 2002-03 to asses the effect of nitrogen fertilizer and harvesting intervals on the forage yield and nutritional value of elephant grass. Four nitrogen levels i.e. 0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N ha(-1) in the form of Urea were applied with three harvesting intervals i.e. 30, 45 and 60 days. The study revealed that the highest Dry Matter yield was obtained by harvesting elephant grass at 60 days interval with 80 or 120 Kg N ha(-1) fertilizer level while the lowest Dry Matter was obtained at 30 days harvesting interval. The results showed that crude protein decreased with longer harvesting intervals in elephant grass. The higher crude fiber was noted in plants harvested after longer interval of cutting, 45 or 60 days interval contained CF as 30.0 and 32.7, respectively. The plants harvested at 45 days interval gave good total ash than other intervals while nitrogen fertilizer had slight effect.