Study on Forage Crop Production on Sloping Land and in Bangladesh

Three perennial grasses, Napier (Pennisetum purpureum), Andropogan (Andropogan gayanus) and Para (Brachiria mutica), were grown at different hill heights dividing the hill slope into three regions (top, middle and bottom). The first two grasses gave the highest biomass yields (29.9 and 37.6 tonnes/ha/harvest, respectively) followed by Para (20.5 t/ha). No significant (p>0.05) changes in biomass yields of the grasses were found due to differences in hill heights. The grasses were harvested three times in the first year of cultivation. Maize and cowpea as sole crops or their intercrops were cultivated in the plain land and the intercrop gave the highest biomass yield (46.7 t/ha, p<0.05). The biomass produced was successfully ensiled in the underground pits at the hill tops.