Local name: Rhodes grass

The seeds of Rhodes grass are light and difficult to sow evenly. It may be mixed with about double its weight of saw dust and sown through a grain seed drill. It should not be sown deeply. Broadcasting into a prepared surface and rolling in May gives best results. It gives yields about 450-600 quintals of fodder in 5-6 cuttings per year. The grass also spreads by means of running branches which root and produce tuft at every node.

Nutritive value

Fig. 2.20 Choti jergi grass

The grass is leafy and palatable and fairly nutritious. It is also used as soiling (grazing) crop. In combinationwithlucerne,ithelpsinimprovementofsoilfertility.Itcontains8-10%crudeprotein and32%crudefibreatfreshlatevegetativestage.Thetotaldigestiblenutrientis55.0%.

Productivity: Mombasa grass is a tall grass, similar to hybrid Napier grass in habit, but far more leafy and is very suitable for cut-and-carry. It is a very productive leafy grass, producing between 20 and 40 t/ha dry matter per year.