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| How to grow Guinea Grass |
How to grow Guinea Grass/Production Technology
Common name: Guinea grass, green panic grass.
Scientific name: Megathyrsus maximus.
Family: Poaceae.
Guinea grass is indigenous to tropical Africa. It is a tall (14.5 m), tufted and fast growing highly palatable perennial grass. It has short creeping rhizome. Establishes readily by seed or plantation of rooted slips. Crude protein ranges from 4 to 14%.
Variety
Hamil, PPG 14, Makuni, Riversdale, CO 1, CO 2 etc. Climate Throughout the year under irrigated conditions. Suitable for growing during monsoon season under rainfed condition.
Soil
All types of soil with good drainage. Does not come up well on heavy clay soil or flooded or waterlogged conditions.
Land preparation
Plough 2 to 3 times to obtain a good tilth and form ridges and furrows 50 cm apart.
Seed Rate
• Seed: 2.5 kg/ha.
• Rooted: Slips 40,000 /ha.
Spacing
50 X 30 cm.
Fertilization
Basal Application
• FYM – 25 tonnes/ha. • N – 50 kg/ha. • P2O5 – 50 kg/ha. • K2O – 40 kg/ha.
Top dressing
• 50 kg N 30 days after planting. • 25 kg N/ha after each cut.
Weeding
First hoeing and weeding on 30 day after germination. Earthing up once in three harvests.
Irrigation
Once in ten days or depending upon soil condition. Immediately after planting, life irrigation on 3rd Day and thereafter once in 10 days depending on soil type and weather parameters.
Plant protection
Generally not needed
Harvesting
The first harvest 75 80 days after planting and subsequent harvests are made at an interval of 40 45 days.
Yield
320 t/ha/year (in 7 harvests).
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| How to grow Para grass |
Production Technology of Para grass
Common name: para grass, buffalo grass, Carib grass, Scotch grass etc.
Scientific name: Brachiaria mutica.
Family: Poaceae.
Paragrass is a shortculmed, stoloniferous perennial up to 200 cm high with long, hairy leafblades about 16 mm wide. Panicle 1020 cm long with solitary racemose or compound branches and glabrous, acute, irregularly multiseriate spikelets 33.5 mm long.
Variety
There is no recommended variety.
Climate
It is a perennial grass suitable for cultivation in humid areas. It is grown in seasonally flooded valleys and lowlands and can withstand water logging and long term flooding. Adapted to highrainfall tropical and subtropical conditions, but in protected areas it can persist with rainfall as low as 900 mm per year. Optimum temperature for growth 21°C. Minimum temperature for growth 15°C
Soil
It cannot grow on dry lands in arid or semi arid areas. Water logged soils are best suited for this crop. It can be grown on sandy soils also, provided water supply is sufficient.
Land Preparation
An initial ploughing may be necessary for a rough seedbed in cleared land. Sprigs can be hand planted in the ashes of burnt wet sclerophyll forest or rain forest or can be directly planted into swampy land.
Planting
Materials: Seed setting is very poor in this grass. It is propagated exclusively by stem cuttings.
Time: It can be planted at any time but June July planting is advisable under rainfed.
Method: Stems with 2-3 nodes are planted in 45-60 cm rows at 20 cm spacing. The stems are pressed into wet soil leaving the two ends sticking up.
Seed rate
800-1000 kg of stem cuttings are needed for planting one hectare.
Fertilizer Application
It responds readily to nitrogen. On phosphorus deficient soils a dressing of 500 kg/ha should be applied prior to planting with subsequent topdressing of 120-250 kg/ha per year for a few years. Nitrogen applied toward the end of summer or in autumn will give better winter growth. It tolerates high aluminium.
Diseases
It is relatively free of diseases. Coccid bug attack associated with sooty mould fungus (Capnodium sp.) causes damage to young leafy shoots. Blast (Piricularia sp.) and sheath blight (Rhizoctonia sp.) occur in Thailand.
Harvesting
The first cut is taken 75-80 days after planting and the subsequent cuts at 40-45 days interval.
Yield
Totally, 6-9 cuts can be taken in a year with an average green fodder yield of 80-100 t/ha.
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