Determination of Appropriate Cutting Date of Perennial Elite Lowland Adaptive Forage Grass Species: Chifir Bequa (Pennisetum Polystachion)

— The experiment was conducted to determine the appropriate harvesting date for Chifir Bequa (Pennisetum Polystachion). It was conducted for three years using randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments used were cutting before heading (T1), cutting at 10% heading (T2), cutting at 25% heading (T3), cutting at 50% heading (T4), cutting at 75% heading (T5) and cutting at 100% heading (T6). Plant height was significantly different (P<0.01) among different stages of forage harvesting. As the grass maturity increases plant height become increased. Leaf constituent of grass harvested before heading shows higher yield than rest of cutting stages. Fresh forage biomass yield was higher at the stage 10% heading (61.75 t/ha) followed by full heading (61.42 t/ha). Dry forage yield was higher in grass harvested at full heading (11.49 t/ha) followed by 9.73 t/ha, 9.59 t/ha, 9.04 t/ha, at 50%, 10% and 75% heading, respectively. Numerically the higher crude protein yield (815 kg/ha) was obtained from forage harvested at 10% heading. Similarly, the numerical value of CP content was found higher in forage grass harvested at 10% heading. The fiber (NDF, ADF and ADL) content of Chifir Bequa (Pennisetum Polystachion) was increasing as the forage maturity increases. The final recommendation revealed from this experiment was the appropriate cutting date for Chifir Bequa (Pennisetum Polystachion) would be at 10% heading stage to avail reasonable dry matter yield and forage quality.