EVALUATING THE FORAGE YIELD AND QUALITY POTENTIAL OF DIFFERENT MAIZE CULTIVARS UNDER DIFFERENT HARVESTING TIMES

Abstract

A pot experiment to evaluate the effect of different harvesting times on forage yield and quality attributes of different maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars was conducted at College of Agriculture, Dera Ghazi Khan during summer season, 2011. Seeds of cultivars viz. Pak-Afgoi, Neelam, Cargil, Goldan and Akbar were  sown manually on 20^th July and each cultivar was harvested at 30, 45 and 60 days after sowing (DAS). The study was done under completely randomized design with factorial arrangement having three replications. Different cultivars and harvesting times significantly affected the growth, forage and dry weight per plant of maize. The growth and yield per plant of each cultivars significantly increased with the delay in harvesting times. Quality parameters like crude protein, crude fibre and total ash percentage were also significantly influenced by different cultivars and harvesting times. The crude protein contents of all cultivars decreased with the increase in harvesting timings, while the crude fibre and total ash percentage increased with the delay in harvesting times. It is concluded that delaying the harvesting up to 60 DAS, increased the green forage and dry weight per plant but decreased the forage quality