| Scientific name | Pennisetum purpureum x Pennisetum glaucum |
|---|---|
| Important features | A cross between Napier grass and fodder pearl millet, multi-cut varieties can yield fodder for 3-4 years. Its deep root system enables survival under drought. It can be cultivated on bunds and along water channels. Crude protein ranges from 8-11% and the immature crop contains Oxalates as toxin. |
| Varieties | DHN-6, Yashwant, NB 21, Co-4, IGFRI-7, BNH-10, APBN-1. |
| When and how to plant | Preferably planted during mid-February to July, 30,000 two-eye budded stem cuttings or root slips are planted at 60 cm × 60 cm distance. Can be planted throughout the year under irrigated conditions. |
| Chemical fertilizer (kg/ha) | 50 kg N:50 kg P:40 kg P during planting and 50 kg N after every cutting. |
| Farm Yard Manure (tons/ha) | 25-30 t 20-25 days before planting. |
| Irrigation | Every 15 days during the rainy season and every 7-10 days during the summer. |
| When to harvest | First cutting after 60-75 days and subsequent cuttings after 45-60 days. |
| Green fodder yield (tons/ha) | 250-300 t annually from 6-8 cuttings. |
| Scientific name | Panicum maximum Jacq. |
|---|---|
| Important features | This is a tall (1-4.5 m), tufted, fast growing and highly palatable perennial grass. Multi-cut varieties can yield fodder for 3-4 years and can be integrated with horticultural crops. They can grow in waste water and marshy land. Their crude protein ranges from 8-13%. |
| Varieties | Bundel Guinea-1, Bundel Guinea –2, Dharwad Guinea Grass-1, Riversdale, Hamil. |
| When and how to plant | Preferably planted during mid- February to July by nursery/stem cuttings, 3-5 kg seed/ha or 30,000 stem cuttings with a spacing of 60 × 60 cm. |
| Chemical fertilizer (kg/ha) | 50 kg N:50 kg P:40 kg K at planting and 50 kg N after every cutting. |
| Farm Yard Manure (tons/ha) | 20-25 t 30 days before planting. |
| Irrigation | Every 15 days in the rainy season and every 7-10 days in the summer. |
| When to harvest | First cutting after 70-75 days and subsequently after 40-45 days. |
| Green fodder yield (tons/ha) | 180-220 t annually from 7-8 cuttings. |
| Scientific name | Chloris gayana L. |
|---|---|
| Important features | A multi-cut fodder crop that consumes less water and can be cultivated as grassland or pasture. It produces high quality forage (protein of >15% on DM basis) when young. Its nutritional quality (low for stems compared to leaves) declines steeply with maturity. It is suitable for saline and alkaline soils. |
| Varieties | Rhodes 10. |
| When and how to plant | Planted in June-July. Rainfed: 5 kg seed/ha. Irrigated: 10 kg seed/ha or 40,000 root slips. Optimum planting distance of 45 × 45 cm. |
| Chemical fertilizer (kg/ha) | 30 kg P during planting, 20 kg N again after 3 weeks and after each cutting. |
| Farm Yard Manure (tons/ha) | 10-15 t 15 days before planting. |
| Irrigation | Every 15 days in the rainy season and every 7-10 days in the summer. |
| When to harvest | First cutting after 90 days for planted seed and 60 days for planted root slips and subsequently after 30-35 days. |
| Green fodder yield (tons/ha) | Irrigated: 80-120 t annually from 7-8 cuttings. Rainfed: 40-50 t. |
| Scientific name | Brachiaria mutica L. |
|---|---|
| Important features | It is grown in seasonally flooded valleys and lowlands and can withstand waterlogging and long term flooding. It cannot grow in arid or semi-arid areas. Its protein content varies from 7-10% on dry matter basis. |
| Varieties | Para grass (local variety). |
| When and how to plant | It is preferably planted in May-July. Root slips with 2-3 nodes are planted in wet soil at 45-60 × 45-60 cm spacing, 40,000 root slips/ha. |
| Chemical fertilizer (kg/ha) | 60 kg N:40 Kg P:40 kg K applied uniformly at planting and first and second cutting. |
| Farm Yard Manure (tons/ha) | 8-10 t 8-10 days before planting. |
| Irrigation | Mostly grown as a rainfed crop, watered every 12-15 days if necessary. |
| When to harvest | First cutting after 70-80 days and subsequently after 40-45 days. |
| Green fodder yield (tons/ha) | First cutting after 70-80 days and subsequently after 40-45 days. |
| Scientific name | Cenchrus ciliaris L. |
|---|---|
| Important features | A perennial grass highly drought tolerant and well adapted to arid and semi-arid areas. It thrives well in light textured soils and grows easily on all types of well drained and even low pH soils. It is highly suitable for pastures under rainfed conditions. Both annual and perennial plants have solid culms and fibrous roots. |
| Varieties | Bundel Anjan 1, Bundel Anjan 3, Co-1, Marwar Anjan. |
| When and how to plant | Planting is preferred in the monsoon season at the rate of 6-8 kg seed/ha. Seeds should be 6-18 months old as fresh seeds (0-6 months) are often dormant. Seedlings of 6-7 weeks can be transplanted when it is drizzling, at 45-60 × 45-60 cm spacing. About 30,000-40,000 seedlings are required per hectare. |
| Chemical fertilizer (kg/ha) | Appy an initial dose of 40 kg N and 20 kg P mixed in soil as a basal dose. Apply 20 kg N to the one-month old crop. In subsequent years, a top dressing of 40 kg N and 20 kg P is required at the start of rains. |
| Farm Yard Manure (tons/ha) | Apply 5 t mixed in soil before planting. |
| Irrigation | Mostly grown as a rainfed crop, irrigation is required every 12-15 days if necessary. |
| When to harvest | First harvest at 70-75 days after planting and subsequently after 50-60-days. |
| Green fodder yield (tons/ha) | 30-40 t in 3-4 cuttings per year depending on growth. |