Abstract:
Two perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) varieties and 5 festulolium hybrids (L. perenne × Festuca spp.) were evaluated
on-farm for their performance over one growing season on clay loam soils at Ol-joro-Orok in the central highlands of
Kenya at about 2,600?2,800 masl. Seed was sown in May 2015 and fertilizer (90 kg N + 90 kg P/ha) was applied at
planting. The study continued for 8 months with harvests after 113, 99 and 32 days (3 growth cycles). Growth attributes
assessed included dry matter yield (DMY) and plant height, while forage nutritive value was measured in terms of crude
protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentrations.