El Wardany, A., Elbordiny, N., Abdrabou, R., Bakr, A., Abdelkareem, Y. (2022). Effect of Different Levels of Salinity and Anti-Transpiration on the Growth Characteristics and Chemical Composition of Panicum maximum (Jacq.). Arab Universities Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 30(1), 87-96. doi: 10.21608/ajs.2022.116057.1454
Adel El Wardany; Nasr Elbordiny; Ramadan Abdrabou; Adel Bakr; Yasser Abdelkareem. "Effect of Different Levels of Salinity and Anti-Transpiration on the Growth Characteristics and Chemical Composition of Panicum maximum (Jacq.)". Arab Universities Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 30, 1, 2022, 87-96. doi: 10.21608/ajs.2022.116057.1454
El Wardany, A., Elbordiny, N., Abdrabou, R., Bakr, A., Abdelkareem, Y. (2022). 'Effect of Different Levels of Salinity and Anti-Transpiration on the Growth Characteristics and Chemical Composition of Panicum maximum (Jacq.)', Arab Universities Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 30(1), pp. 87-96. doi: 10.21608/ajs.2022.116057.1454
El Wardany, A., Elbordiny, N., Abdrabou, R., Bakr, A., Abdelkareem, Y. Effect of Different Levels of Salinity and Anti-Transpiration on the Growth Characteristics and Chemical Composition of Panicum maximum (Jacq.). Arab Universities Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2022; 30(1): 87-96. doi: 10.21608/ajs.2022.116057.1454
Effect of Different Levels of Salinity and Anti-Transpiration on the Growth Characteristics and Chemical Composition of Panicum maximum (Jacq.)
1Regional Center for Food and Feed (RCFF), Agriculture Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt
2Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
3Agronomy Depatrment, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the effect of different salinity and anti-transpiration levels on the growth and biochemical composition of Panicum maximum plants (Guinea grass) during spring and summer in 2020. Two different anti-transpiration treatments [molasses (sugarcane) (5 mL/L), kaolin (50 g/L), with control] and three salinity levels (S1 well water as the control and salinity S2 2000 ppm; S3 4000 ppm, S4 6000 ppm] were used in 12 treatments in 72 pots [3 anti-transpiration treatments × 4 salinity treatments × 6 replicates]; a randomized complete design was used. Results revealed that the plants achieved the highest plant height (123.77 cm) and dry weight (521.87 g/m2) with kaolin and no salt addition treatment during summer. Higher percentage of proteins and carbohydrates were found in spring than in summer; but there was no significant difference among the salinity levels. A high percentage of ash and fiber contents was also observed during summer, with no significant differences between the anti-transpiration treatments. It could be concluded that P. maximum, as one of the most important fodder crops, could be cultivated in marginal lands, especially during summer season.