Season : Throughout the year in all districts Hybrids recommended : CO-3 and KKM-1

Yield Potential and Quality Characters

 PREPARATORY CULTIVATION

1. PLOUGHING

      Plough with an iron plough two to three times to obtain good tilth.

2. APPLICATION OF FYM

      25 t/ha

3. FORMING RIDGES

      Form ridges and furrows using a ridger, 60 cm apart.

4. APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS

5. PLANTING

i.  Irrigate through the furrows and plant one rooted slip/stem cutting per hill.
ii. Spacing 50 x 50 cm and 40,000 planting material are  required to plant one ha.
iii. As a mixed crop, 3 rows of Cumbu Napier Hybrid and one row of Desmanthus can be raised to increase the nutritive value.

6. WATER MANAGEMENT

      Immediately after planting, give life irrigation on the third day and thereafter once in 10 days. Sewage or waste water can also be used for irrigation.

7. WEED MANAGEMENT

      Hand weeding is done whenever necessary.

8. HARVESTING

      First harvest is to be done on 75 to 80 days after planting and subsequent harvests at intervals of 45 days yields  around 400 t/ha.

9. GREEN FODDER YIELD

                400 t/ha

NOTE:  1. Quartering has to be done every year or whenever the clumps become unwidely and large.
2.  Wherever necessary to alleviate the ill effects of oxalates in this grass, the following steps are suggested.
i. Feeding 5 kg of leguminous fodder per day per animal along with these grasses or
ii. Providing calcium, bone meal or mineral mixture to the animal or
iii.Giving daily  half litre of supernatant clear lime water along with the drinking water or sprinkling this water on the fodder.