Morphological Characterization of Selected Ecotypes of African Foxtail Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) from Selected Areas of Tanzania

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess morphological variation of African foxtail grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) ecotypes in natural habitats from three selected districts namely; Kilolo, Mpwapwa and Kiteto in Tanzania. In each district two villages were selected and assessment of morphological traits was done at one site for each village. Three plots of 10 m diameter, 40 m apart were made in each site. Ten tussocks of African foxtail grass were randomly selected from each plot to assess height, tiller number, leaf number, leaf length and inflorescence length. Environmental characteristics like altitude, vegetation and soil types were also assessed because they affect morphological traits of African foxtail grass. The lowest altitude was in Kilolo (Malolo village) at 528 masl and the highest was at 1613 masl in Kiteto (Twanga village). The soil texture was primarily sandy clay, with pH ranging from moderate acidic of 5.6 to moderate alkaline of 8.3. The recorded average annual rainfall and temperature ranged from 643 – 1157 mm and 19.4 to 24oC respectively in study areas. The vegetation was influenced by anthropogenic activities mainly grazing and farming. The study found a significant variation for all morphological traits assessed across the selected ecotypes. Ecotypes from Kilolo and Mpwapwa districts had relatively higher mean values for all traits assessed except tiller numbers while ecotypes from Kiteto district had low mean values for all traits except tiller numbers. The study concludes that African foxtail grass is morphologically variant among and within ecotypes. Further assessment of these ecotypes when grown under similar environmental conditions is recommended to reaffirm the morphological variation.