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ABSTRACT
Brachiaria decumbens is a stoloniferous, high yielding grass well adapted to a wide range of soils in the humid and sub-humid tropics. It could be utilized to feed ruminant animals in Nigeria thereby ameliorating the severe problem of livestock feed shortages in the country. The objective of the study was to determine the growth and herbage yield of Brachiaria decumbens (Signal grass) treated with three rates of N.P.K 15:15:15 fertilizer. The randomized complete block experiment was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin research farm. Three rates (0, 150 and 300 kg ha-1) of NPK 15:15:15 were the treatments replicated 7 times. Seeds were drilled along furrows spaced 40 cm apart on raised beds that served as plots. Data collected at 10, 12 and 14 weeks were plant height (PH), number of tillers (NOT) and root length (RL) whereas fresh herbage weight (FHW) and dry herbage weight (DHW) were measured at 24 weeks after sowing. Data was analyzed with SAS software version 9.0 and means separated with LSD at 5% level of significance. NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer increased plant height significantly at all intervals of sampling. Generally, 150 and 300 kg NPK ha-1rates were similar and higher than control. However effect of NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer on number of tillers was not significant. On the other hand, NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer significantly increased the root length of Brachiaria decumbens at 10 weeks. The substantive fertilizer rates of 150 and 300 kg NPK ha-1 were similar and better than control. Both fresh and dry herbage weights were significantly augmented by fertilizer application. In the case of fresh herbage weight, 150 and 300 kg NPK ha-1 were similar and higher than control. However, for dry herbage weight, 150 kg NPK ha-1 produced significantly heavier dry herbage weight than control but was similar to 300 kg NPK ha-1. In conclusion, 150 kg NPK ha-1 application rate produced significantly higher values than control for all measured variables of Signal grass in the current study. Signal grass is adaptable to the humid region of Nigeria.
