RK Seeds – Napier grass seeds , Elephant grass seeds, Pennisetum Purpureum Grass Seeds – Pack of 1Kg

1. Planting Napier grass for fodder : Napier grass is an improved fodder
grass that produces a lot of high-protein forage. It is also known as
“elephant grass”, “Sudan grass” or “king grass”. Its scientific name
is Pennisetum purpureum.

2.Suitable area : Napier grass is best suited to high rainfall areas, but it is
drought-tolerant and can also grow well in drier areas. It does not grow
well in waterlogged areas. It can be grown along with fodder trees along
field boundaries or along contour lines or terrace risers to help control
erosion. It can be intercropped with crops such as legumes and fodder
trees, or as a pure stand.

3. Advantages
 Napier grass is propagated easily.
 It has deep roots, so is fairly drought-resistant.
 The tender, young leaves and stems are very palatable for livestock.
 Napier grass grows very fast.

4. Planting procedure Napier grass can be planted using by Seeds
methods
5.Preparation : Preparation of Mother bed and sowing to seeds and get
ready for planting materials then do following method for planting

6.Planting cuttings
1. At the beginning of the rains, collect the planting materials. With a
sharp knife, cut the bottom part of young Napier grass seedlings
2. Stretch out a rope across the plot to make sure you have a straight line.
Using the hoe and measuring stick, plant the seedlings at 60 cm
intervals along the line.
3. Plant the seedlings in small holes or a furrow.
4. Plant more rows with a spacing of about 90 cm (3 feet) between the
rows.
Maintenance and harvesting
1. Water immediately after planting.
2. Weed the Napier grass plot regularly.
3. If any of the seedlings die, fill in the gaps with new ones.
4. Harvest the grass when it is 90_120 cm (3_4 feet) high. Harvest the grass
following a pattern. Beginning at one end of the row, cut enough grass to feed
your animals for 1 day. The next day, cut the next grass along in the row. Carry
on until you reach the end of the row. In this way, you will always be able to cut
fodder for your livestock.

Harvesting
Crop may be harvested 50 days after planting seed. It may be used for pasture or
may be cut and used for fodder later. This grass is susceptible to overgrazing

Yields and Economics
Duke (1978) reports hay yields up to 43 MT/ha. Trials in India gave yields of 29–
48 tons green herbage/ha in 2 or 3 cuttings. Cultivated fodder in India, Brazil, and
Africa; mainly used locally where grown