Morphological and morphometric characteristics, drying rate, and chemical composition of forage grasses grown for hay production

The objective of this study is to characterize six forage grass cultivars used for hay production. The morphological and morphometric characteristics of these cultivars were determined using a completely randomized block design, and the rates of loss of dry matter and crude protein (CP) were evaluated using a completely randomized design with a 6 x 5 factorial scheme (six cultivars vs. five drying periods [0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 hours]) and three repetitions. Morphological and morphometric characteristics and the chemical composition of the cultivars were analyzed using the Scott-Knott test, and the drying time was assessed using linear regression analysis at a level of significance of 5%. There was a significant effect (p < 0.05) of morphological and morphometric characteristics, except for stem thickness (p=0.1) and the live-to-dead biomass ratio (p=0.27). The Massai cultivar presented a higher leaf to stem ratio (1.23 ± 0.60). There was an increased linear response (p < 0.05) for the rate of water loss in the six evaluated cultivars. The Massai cultivar had a safe storage moisture content (80% dry matter) after 3 hours and 11 minutes of sun exposure, and the drying rate was 10.34% per hour of sun exposure. The cultivars Paredao and Marandu showed a decreasing linear effect of CP content across the harvest period, corresponding to 22.07% and 21.38 ± 0.55% in fresh plants, respectively, and 20.13% and 18.11 ± 0.55% after 4 hours of sun exposure, respectively. The Massai cultivar had the most efficient rate of water loss, reaching a safe storage moisture content in 3 hours and 6 minutes, with a CP content of 18.63%.