PRODUCTIVITY AND FEED QUALITY OF VARIETIES OF Cenchrus purpureus IN THE MANÁ AREA, ECUADOR

The objective of this study was to evaluate the forage quality and productivity of Cenchrus purpureus cultivars grown in Ecuador, Mana zone. Varieties of Cenchrus purpureus cv Purple and Maralfalfa were used in different ages of regrowth (45, 60, 75 and 90 days) distributed in a randomized block design of random effects in factorial arrangement with four replications. Variance analyzes were carried out in which the effects of regrowth age (4), variety (2) and their interaction (4 x 2) were controlled, with a total of eight treatments. Both varieties continued to accumulate forage upwards until 90 days (p≤0.05) with 59.1 and 53.7 t GM ha -1 for Purple pasture and Maralfalfa, respectively. In the morphometric indicators, the highest (P≤0.001) leaf length was obtained in the Maralfalfa at 90 days (111.8 cm), while for the width the Purple grass showed superiority (P≤0.001) at 45 (2.92 cm) ) and 75 days (2.88 cm). Among the chemical variables of C. purpureus that are modified by the La Mana climate are the nitrogen content (P≤0.05) and ether extract with different levels of significance, while the Heliophone, minimum and average temperature, dew point , rainfall and days with rain, affect the chemical composition of the pastures under study (P≤0.05, P≤0.01 and P≤0.001, respectively). The digestibility of DM, OM, metabolizable energy, net of lactation and fattening were decreasing (P≤0.001) depending on the age of the plant. It is concluded that the age of the plant modified the morphophysiology of both varieties and the productivity of green biomass behaved ascending. The loss of chemical quality was increased depending on the age of regrowth; however, DM and OM digestility greater than 50% were obtained.