TITLE:
Morpho Characterization and Nutritive Value of 11 Accessions of Urochloa (Syn Brachiaria) from Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Clémence-Aggy Njehoya, Fidèle Ntchapda, Jean Raphael Kana, Kingsley Agbor Etchu
KEYWORDS:
Morphocharacterisation, Nutritive Value, Cameroon, Urochloa
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Animal Sciences,
Vol.16 No.2,
April
30,
2026
ABSTRACT: Urochloa (Syn Brachiaria) grass has the potential to alleviate livestock feed shortage in Africa. The common Urochloa (Syn Brachiaria) cultivated for decades now in Cameroon is supposed to be ruziziensis. The main objective of this work is to make a morphological characterization of Urochloa (Syn Brachiaria) collected around the country and to determine whether there exist any differences or similarities for morphology and nutritional composition among them. 16 samples of Urochloa (Syn Brachiaria) seeds were sowed, and 6 weeks later, the seedlings were transplanted in another site for a morphological characterization experiment. 10 healthy and strong seedlings of each sample were planted in a 2.5 m × 0.5 m size plot in 2 replications. Row to row spacing was 0.5 m while plant to plant spacing was 0.25 m. 70 days after planting, data started to be collected. From the nursery, 11 samples from Cameroon performed well and with U. decumbens var basilisk were cut to 5 cm from soil level in 02 replications at 60 days of age and put in paper bags, then pre-dried in an oven for 05 days at 60˚C. Then the 02 replications per sample were mixed and put together for nutritional analysis. The first PC component which explains 25.9% of the total variations, was strongly and positively associated with agro morphological character: days at 50% flowering. Accessions with higher values for F1 had long days to 50% flowering and great stem diameter. Accessions with higher values for F2 had less leaf abaxial and adaxial, less days to first flowering, great leaf sheath hairiness. For nutritive values, the results suggest that other studies taking account of stages of harvest should be conducted to evaluate Urochloa (Syn Brachiaria) from Cameroon digestibility.