Micro-climatic Impacts on the Relative Growth of Cenchrus ciliaris and Cenchrus setigerus

Abstract

Cenchrus ciliaris and Cenchrus seligerus created favourable micro-climate within the canopies by maintaining lower temperatures (by 2 to 9°C) and vapour pressure gradients and high humidity (by 3 to 11 %). Energy balance studies showed that the net radiation, soil heat flux and latent heat of vaporization over the grass cover were higher during wet years compared to the values during low rainfall years. Accumulated stress degree days showed that C. ciliaris developes an early stress than C. sCligcrus. The transpiration rates of these grasses at vegetative phase were 16 to 18/ug cm^-2s^-1 and diffusive resistances were 0.60 to 0.73 s cm^-1. During low rainfall years, C.ciliaris produced higher dry matter yield, water and energy use efficiency than C. seligcrus whereas under high rainfall conditions. setigerus performed better than C. ciliaris.