Development of mechanical methods for cell-tray propagation and field transplanting of dwarf napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.)
Since dwarf napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) must be propagated vegetatively due to lack of viable seeds, root splitting and stem cuttings are generally used to obtain true-to-type plant populations. These ordinary methods are laborious and costly, and are the greatest barriers for expan...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Kassel University Press
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://jarts.info/index.php/jarts/article/view/2015112649437 |
| _version_ | 1819290396581167104 |
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| author | Renny Fatmyah Utamy Yasuyuki Ishii Sachiko Idota Lizah Khairani Kiichi Fukuyama |
| author_facet | Renny Fatmyah Utamy Yasuyuki Ishii Sachiko Idota Lizah Khairani Kiichi Fukuyama |
| author_sort | Renny Fatmyah Utamy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since dwarf napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) must be propagated vegetatively due to lack of viable seeds, root splitting and stem cuttings are generally used to obtain true-to-type plant populations. These ordinary methods are laborious and costly, and are the greatest barriers for expanding the cultivation area of this crop. The objectives of this research were to develop nursery production of dwarf napiergrass in cell trays and to compare the efficiency of mechanical versus manual methods for cell-tray propagation and field transplanting. After defoliation of herbage either by a sickle (manually) or hand-mowing machine, every potential aerial tiller bud was cut to a single one for transplanting into cell trays as stem cuttings and placed in a glasshouse over winter. The following June, nursery plants were trimmed to a 25–cm length and transplanted in an experimental field (sandy soil) with 20,000 plants ha^(−1) either by shovel (manually) or Welsh onion planter. Labour time was recorded for each process. The manual defoliation of plants required 44% more labour time for preparing the stem cuttings (0.73 person-min. stemcutting^(−1)) compared to using hand-mowing machinery (0.51 person-min. stem-cutting^(−1)). In contrast, labour time for transplanting required an extra 0.30 person-min. m^(−2) (14%) using the machinery compared to manual transplanting, possibly due to the limited plot size for machinery operation. The transplanting method had no significant effect on plant establishment or plant growth, except for herbage yield 110 days after planting. Defoliation of herbage by machinery, production using a cell-tray nursery and mechanical transplanting reduced the labour intensity of dwarf napiergrass propagation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T03:22:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aa40bb1358dd4a60a0afecd633a0d638 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1612-9830 2363-6033 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T03:22:05Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | Kassel University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics |
| spelling | doaj.art-aa40bb1358dd4a60a0afecd633a0d6382022-12-21T17:17:28ZengKassel University PressJournal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics1612-98302363-60332016-01-0111711119Development of mechanical methods for cell-tray propagation and field transplanting of dwarf napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.)Renny Fatmyah Utamy0Yasuyuki Ishii1Sachiko Idota2Lizah Khairani3Kiichi Fukuyama4Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Agriculture and Engineering, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, JapanFaculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, JapanFaculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, JapanGraduate School of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan (present: Faculty of Animal Husbandry, University of Padjadjaran, Indonesia)Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, JapanSince dwarf napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) must be propagated vegetatively due to lack of viable seeds, root splitting and stem cuttings are generally used to obtain true-to-type plant populations. These ordinary methods are laborious and costly, and are the greatest barriers for expanding the cultivation area of this crop. The objectives of this research were to develop nursery production of dwarf napiergrass in cell trays and to compare the efficiency of mechanical versus manual methods for cell-tray propagation and field transplanting. After defoliation of herbage either by a sickle (manually) or hand-mowing machine, every potential aerial tiller bud was cut to a single one for transplanting into cell trays as stem cuttings and placed in a glasshouse over winter. The following June, nursery plants were trimmed to a 25–cm length and transplanted in an experimental field (sandy soil) with 20,000 plants ha^(−1) either by shovel (manually) or Welsh onion planter. Labour time was recorded for each process. The manual defoliation of plants required 44% more labour time for preparing the stem cuttings (0.73 person-min. stemcutting^(−1)) compared to using hand-mowing machinery (0.51 person-min. stem-cutting^(−1)). In contrast, labour time for transplanting required an extra 0.30 person-min. m^(−2) (14%) using the machinery compared to manual transplanting, possibly due to the limited plot size for machinery operation. The transplanting method had no significant effect on plant establishment or plant growth, except for herbage yield 110 days after planting. Defoliation of herbage by machinery, production using a cell-tray nursery and mechanical transplanting reduced the labour intensity of dwarf napiergrass propagation.http://jarts.info/index.php/jarts/article/view/2015112649437napiergrassestablishmentlabour timemechanical transplantingnursery productionvegetative propagation |
| spellingShingle | Renny Fatmyah Utamy Yasuyuki Ishii Sachiko Idota Lizah Khairani Kiichi Fukuyama Development of mechanical methods for cell-tray propagation and field transplanting of dwarf napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics napiergrass establishment labour time mechanical transplanting nursery production vegetative propagation |
| title | Development of mechanical methods for cell-tray propagation and field transplanting of dwarf napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) |
| title_full | Development of mechanical methods for cell-tray propagation and field transplanting of dwarf napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) |
| title_fullStr | Development of mechanical methods for cell-tray propagation and field transplanting of dwarf napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development of mechanical methods for cell-tray propagation and field transplanting of dwarf napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) |
| title_short | Development of mechanical methods for cell-tray propagation and field transplanting of dwarf napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) |
| title_sort | development of mechanical methods for cell tray propagation and field transplanting of dwarf napiergrass pennisetum purpureum schumach |
| topic | napiergrass establishment labour time mechanical transplanting nursery production vegetative propagation |
| url | http://jarts.info/index.php/jarts/article/view/2015112649437 |
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