Abstract
Ten accessions and two commercial varieties of rhizoma perennial peanut (RPP) (Arachis glabrata Benth.) were evaluated at the Isabela ARS farm in 1991-92 to determine percentage of ground cover (PGC), green forage yield (GFY), dry matter yield (DMY), rhizome fresh yield (RFY), and effects of 6- and 12-wk cutting intervals (CI) on DMY, crude protein concentration (CPC), and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). After 36 weeks of growth, no significant differences (P = 0.05) were detected in PGC, GFY, DMY, and RFY among the eight, five, seven, and five most productive RPP, respectively. The DMY/harvest of 17095 and 17097 (2,712 and 2,859 kg/ha) was superior (P = 0.05) at the 6-wk CI; and that of 'Florigraze', 17095 and 17097 (4,052; 4,148 and 4,747 kg/ha) at the 12-wk CI, respectively. There were no differences in CPC among the six and nine RPP with higher values at the two CI and in IVDMD among the seven RPP with higher values at the 6-wk CI, while 17039 and 17044 were superior (P = 0.05) at the 12-wk CI. Accession 17097 showed the greatest overall potential with an extrapolated annual DMY of about 25 and 21 t/ha, CPC of 192 and 155 g/kg, and IVDMD of 587 and 544 g/kg at the two CI, respectively.