BANGLADESH JOURNAL OF BOTANY, cilt.35, sa.2, ss.133-142, 2006 (SCI-Expanded)
Plant length, main stem diameter, root crown diameter, dry weight of root per plant and forage yield per plant of 30 forage plants were examined as morphological characters. A wide range of variation within the same species was observed among morphological characters. Crude protein and crude ash ratios, K, Ca, Mg, P, S, Fe, Zn, Mn contents, K/(Ca+Mg), Ca/P and N/S ratios of the plants were examined. The crude protein and crude ash ratios of the plants ranged between 5.81 to 16.32%, 7.05 to 14.68%, respectively. K, P, Mg and Ca contents of plants ranged between 0.06 to 3.67, 0.17 to 0.49, 0.01 to 1.19 and 0.45 to 2.79%, respectively. The values for Fe, Zn and Mn contents of plants ranged between 132.4 - 815.2, 12.37 - 68.0 and 21.7 - 138.4 ppm, respectively. Ca/P, N/S and K/(Ca+Mg) ratios of plant samples were 1.17 - 10.38, 1.35 - 7.75 and 0.36 - 4.73, respectively.