Although there was no effect of cutting height on
total dry matter yield in the first year, severe
cutting of napier grass cultivars reduced yields
greatly at the end of the wet season in the second
year. Even when cutting at 10 cm, the yields were
still significantly reduced. The beneficial effects
of lax cutting of pasture are related to the greater
size and levels of residual plant variables following cutting, such as residual leaf area, the
number of growing points and the amount of
stubble reserves remaining (Ward and Blaser
1961; Harris 1978). The significant effect of
higher stubble in 1995 on dry matter yield of all
cultivars derived from increases in both stem and
leaf yields. The different responses in the two
years of the experiment were probably due to the
pasture being repeatedly cut, which lead to the
depletion of food reserves under a low cutting
height (Harris 1978). A dry spell during June and
July in 1995 may have further suppressed
regrowth under the low cutting regimen.