Crop Production :: Forage Crops :: Cumbu Napier

Season and Varieties

Zone District/Season	Month	Varieties
Irrigated
All Districts	Throughout the year	KKM 1, CO 3 and CO (CN) 4

Yield Potential and Quality Characters

PARTICULARS	KKM 1	CO 3	CO (CN)4
Parentage	Interspecific hybrid between Cumbu IP 15507 x FD 429	Interspecific hybrid between Cumbu PT 1697 xPenneisetumpurpureum	Interspecific hybrid between Cumbu CO 8 x FD 461
Duration (Days)	Perennial	Perennial	Perennial
Green fodder yield (t/ha/yr)	288	350 (7harvests)	375-400 (7harvests)
Morphological characters
Plant height (cm)	155-160	300 – 360	400-500
No. of leaves per clump	165-170	400-450	400-450
No. of tillers per clump	10-15	30 – 40	30 – 40
Leaf stem ratio	-	0.70	0.71
Leaf length (cm)	110-115	80 – 95	110-115
Leaf width (cm)	4.5-5.0	3.0 – 4.2	4.0-5.0
Quality characters
Dry matter yield (t/ha/yr)	47.23	65.12	79.87
Crude protein yield (t/ha)	4.65	5.40	8.71
Dry matter (%)	16.4	17.0	21.3
Crude protein (%)	9.85	10.5	10.71
Oxalate (%)	1.50	2.51	2.48

 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

• Apply NPK fertilizers as per soil test recommendation as for as possible. If soil testing is not done, follow the blanket recommendations of 150:50:40 of NPK in kg/ha.
• Apply full dose of P,K and 50% N  basally before planting. Top dressing of 50% N on 30 DAS.
• Repeat the basal application of 75 kg N/cut  for sustaining higher yield
• Application of Azospirillum (2000g) and phosphobacterium (2000g) or Azophos (4000g) along with 75% of recommended dose of N and P fertilizers enhanced the yield besides saving of 25% of fertilizer dose.

5. PLANTING

• Irrigate through the furrows and plant one rooted slip/stem cutting per hill.
• Spacing 60 x 50 cm and 33,333 planting material are required to plant one ha.

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: 

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