This study evaluated the morphological variation of Panicum maximum across two agro-ecological zones in Tanzania: Semi-arid (Mpwapwa district) and sub-humid (Moshi rural district). Plant sampling was conducted using 0.5m2 quadrants, with one plant per quadrant, as assessed for plant height, leaf-to-stem ratio, leaf size, number of tillers, and fresh weight to estimate biomass. In six villages, four 10 m2 plots were established, and six quadrant throws per site provided 144 samples. Soil texture, mineral composition, cation exchange capacity, and fertility were also analyzed. The results indicated sandy soils in the semi-arid zone and clay soils in the sub-humid zone. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in all measured morphological traits across zones. The average leaf-to-stem ratio varied significantly between districts and terrains, with hilly areas exerting notable effects on forage quality. Leaf length differed significantly between valley and plain areas, while tiller number varied between zones. In the sub-humid zone, plant traits were relatively stable across terrains, whereas in the semi-arid zone, terrain strongly influenced growth. Biomass yield was consistent across all agro-ecological indicating the species' adaptability. Soil and moisture conditions were key determinants of P. maximum performance. These findings emphasize the importance of soil fertility enhancement and moisture conservation as interventions to optimize P. maximum performance and sustain its role as a key forage resource in diverse environments.
| Published in | Journal of Plant Sciences (Volume 13, Issue 6) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.jps.20251306.15 |
| Page(s) | 238-248 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Panicum Maximum, Agro-ecological Zones, Morphological Variation, Forage Adaptability, Ecotype, Soil and Moisture Conditions
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APA Style
Rabiel, K. E., Leonard, L. D., Wilson, W. C. (2025). Morphological Characterisation of Panicum maximum (Guinea Grass) Across Selected Agro-ecological Zones of Tanzania. Journal of Plant Sciences, 13(6), 238-248. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jps.20251306.15
ACS Style
Rabiel, K. E.; Leonard, L. D.; Wilson, W. C. Morphological Characterisation of Panicum maximum (Guinea Grass) Across Selected Agro-ecological Zones of Tanzania. J. Plant Sci. 2025, 13(6), 238-248. doi: 10.11648/j.jps.20251306.15
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Download@article{10.11648/j.jps.20251306.15,
author = {Kimaro Erick Rabiel and Lutatenekwa Dorice Leonard and Wilson Charles Wilson},
title = {Morphological Characterisation of Panicum maximum (Guinea Grass) Across Selected Agro-ecological Zones of Tanzania},
journal = {Journal of Plant Sciences},
volume = {13},
number = {6},
pages = {238-248},
doi = {10.11648/j.jps.20251306.15},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jps.20251306.15},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jps.20251306.15},
abstract = {This study evaluated the morphological variation of Panicum maximum across two agro-ecological zones in Tanzania: Semi-arid (Mpwapwa district) and sub-humid (Moshi rural district). Plant sampling was conducted using 0.5m2 quadrants, with one plant per quadrant, as assessed for plant height, leaf-to-stem ratio, leaf size, number of tillers, and fresh weight to estimate biomass. In six villages, four 10 m2 plots were established, and six quadrant throws per site provided 144 samples. Soil texture, mineral composition, cation exchange capacity, and fertility were also analyzed. The results indicated sandy soils in the semi-arid zone and clay soils in the sub-humid zone. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in all measured morphological traits across zones. The average leaf-to-stem ratio varied significantly between districts and terrains, with hilly areas exerting notable effects on forage quality. Leaf length differed significantly between valley and plain areas, while tiller number varied between zones. In the sub-humid zone, plant traits were relatively stable across terrains, whereas in the semi-arid zone, terrain strongly influenced growth. Biomass yield was consistent across all agro-ecological indicating the species' adaptability. Soil and moisture conditions were key determinants of P. maximum performance. These findings emphasize the importance of soil fertility enhancement and moisture conservation as interventions to optimize P. maximum performance and sustain its role as a key forage resource in diverse environments.},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Morphological Characterisation of Panicum maximum (Guinea Grass) Across Selected Agro-ecological Zones of Tanzania AU - Kimaro Erick Rabiel AU - Lutatenekwa Dorice Leonard AU - Wilson Charles Wilson Y1 - 2025/12/09 PY - 2025 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jps.20251306.15 DO - 10.11648/j.jps.20251306.15 T2 - Journal of Plant Sciences JF - Journal of Plant Sciences JO - Journal of Plant Sciences SP - 238 EP - 248 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2331-0731 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jps.20251306.15 AB - This study evaluated the morphological variation of Panicum maximum across two agro-ecological zones in Tanzania: Semi-arid (Mpwapwa district) and sub-humid (Moshi rural district). Plant sampling was conducted using 0.5m2 quadrants, with one plant per quadrant, as assessed for plant height, leaf-to-stem ratio, leaf size, number of tillers, and fresh weight to estimate biomass. In six villages, four 10 m2 plots were established, and six quadrant throws per site provided 144 samples. Soil texture, mineral composition, cation exchange capacity, and fertility were also analyzed. The results indicated sandy soils in the semi-arid zone and clay soils in the sub-humid zone. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in all measured morphological traits across zones. The average leaf-to-stem ratio varied significantly between districts and terrains, with hilly areas exerting notable effects on forage quality. Leaf length differed significantly between valley and plain areas, while tiller number varied between zones. In the sub-humid zone, plant traits were relatively stable across terrains, whereas in the semi-arid zone, terrain strongly influenced growth. Biomass yield was consistent across all agro-ecological indicating the species' adaptability. Soil and moisture conditions were key determinants of P. maximum performance. These findings emphasize the importance of soil fertility enhancement and moisture conservation as interventions to optimize P. maximum performance and sustain its role as a key forage resource in diverse environments. VL - 13 IS - 6 ER -
Department of Animal, Aquaculture and Range Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
Department of Animal, Aquaculture and Range Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
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