Influence of Cutting Age and Planting Year on the Proximate Composition of Megathyrsus maximus Interplanted with Turmeric and Ginger
The proximate analysis revealed that treatments had significant effects (P<0.05) on crude protein contents, with the highest values obtained in Megathyrsus alone (10.05 %) and Megathyrsus + ginger (10.14 %), while the lowest was observed in Megathyrsus + turmeric (9.71 %). Crude fibre, ether extract, ash, and dry matter contents were not significantly affected by treatments, although slight numerical differences were observed. Cutting age influenced nutrient composition, with crude protein declining gradually from 4 weeks (10.02 %) to 16 weeks (9.77 %), while crude fibre and ash increased with maturity. Carbohydrate contents peaked at 45.33 % under Megathyrsus + ginger + turmeric treatment. Across years, crude protein was significantly higher in 2020 (11.01 %) compared to subsequent years, while crude fibre progressively increased, reaching maximum levels in 2023 (25.32 %). Interaction effects between treatment and cutting age showed that crude protein content in sole Megathyrsus decreased significantly at 16 weeks, whereas Megathyrsus interplanted with ginger or ginger + turmeric maintained more stable protein levels across cutting ages. Similarly, interaction between cutting age and planting year revealed that crude fibre increased as the years progressed, especially at early cutting stages. These findings suggest that while interplanting with turmeric alone may slightly reduce protein levels, ginger inclusion supports higher protein retention in Megathyrsus. Furthermore, cutting forage at younger stages and during earlier planting years improves nutritive quality. The study underscores the potential of integrating medicinal plants into forage systems for improved livestock nutrition, consistent with sustainable agriculture goals.
Index Terms: Forage quality, intercropping, Megathyrsus maximus, proximate composition, turmeric, ginger.
