FORAGE SCIENCE

Fac.of Animal Husbandry

Brawijaya University

GRASS

Axonopus compressus P. Beauv.

Synonim: Paspalum compressum (Sw.) Nees, Paspalum platycaule Willd. ex Steud., Paspalum platycaulon Poir

Local name:Rumput pahitanRumput karpet

Native:USA (south east part), Indonesia, West India, African Tropics

Description

Perennial plant, spreading by stolon

often used as a permanent pasture, ground cover and turf in moist, low fertility soils, particularly in shaded situations.

It is generally too low growing to be useful in cut-and-carry systems or for fodder conservation

Axonopus compressus P. Beauv.

Adaptation

Grow well on tropical and sub-tropical area with high humidity

Prefer to grow well on sandy land or clay land which rich of humus

Planting at 25 x 25 cm in lenght (tillers)

Brachiaria decumbens Stapf.

Synonim: Brachiaria eminiiBrachiaria bequaertii

Local name:Rumput Signal

Native:Uganda, Africa

Description

Perennial grass, A stoloniferous base and roots developing from the lower nodes producing a dense sward

The erect stems arise from a long stoloniferous base

The leaflet color: dark green with smooth hair

At first time the growth of grass is so hard but after this hard to control

To control, should be cut or by grazing (stocked heavily)

Brachiaria decumbens Stapf.

Adaptation

a grass of the wet tropics, but it has good drought tolerance and is adapted to a dry season of four or five months.

However, it prefers 1,500 mm or more of rain.

It does not do well where the dry season is more than five months, but is more productive than Brachiaria mutica in the late dry season.

Adaptation

Responsive to the addition of N fertilizer and heavy grazing

It can grow well at slope land, pH 6-7 Show rapid regrowth and good

persistence under heavy or frequent defoliation

Brachiaria mutica Stapf.

Synonim: Panicum muticum Forsk.P. purpurascens Raddi.

Local name: Rumput Para

Native:African Tropics

Description

A short-culmed, stoloniferous perennial up to 200 cm high with long, hairy leaf-blades about 16 mm wide.

Panicle 10-20 cm long with solitary racemose or compound branches and glabrous, acute, irregularly multiseriate spikelets 3-3.5 mm long (Napper, 1965).

Brachiaria mutica Stapf.

Adaptation Distribution tropical areas of Africa and

America, now introduced into most tropical countries.

Season of growth: A summer perennial. Altitude range: Sea-level to 1 000 m. Adapted to high-rainfall tropical and subtropical

conditions, but in protected areas it can persist with rainfall as low as 900 mm per year.

It usually tolerates general drought by reason of its specific swampy environment, being maintained by the residual moisture from the wet season.

It prefers alluvial and hydromorphic soils but will grow on a wide range of moist soil types.

Brachiaria ruziziensis R. Germ. and C.M. Evrard

Synonim: Urochloa ruziziensis (R. Germ. and C.M. Evrard) Crins.

Local name:Rumput ruzi

Native:Congo, Kenya, and Africa

Description

Late flowering perennial similar to B. decumbens, but with the lower glume distant from the rest of the spikelet.

Light-green broad hairy leaves and flowers.

Cultivated in the humid tropics for pasture

Brachiaria ruziziensis

Adaptation Requires light to loam soils of moderately

high fertility (pH 5.0–6.8) and cannot tolerate strongly acid conditions

For the lowlands and up to 2,000 m in the humid tropics, with a minimum of 1,200 mm AAR. 

It can tolerate a dry season of 4 months but will die out in extended dry conditions. 

Having poor tolerance to flooding, it thrives best on well-drained soils

It can stand moderately heavy grazing and requires high levels of fertilizing to persist under frequent cutting. Responsive to N addition

Cenchrus ciliaris L.

Synonim: Pennisetum cenchroides Rich. P. ciliare (L.) Link.

Local name:Rumput buffel

Native:India, Indonesia, African Tropics

Cenchrus ciliaris L.

Description

tufted (sometimes shortly rhizomatous) perennial, with types ranging in habit from ascendant to erect, and branching culms from about 0.3-2.0 m at maturity.

sometimes hairy at the base

Deep, strong, fibrous root system to >2 m.

Adaptation

often occurs in the wild on sandy soils, but is also well adapted to deep, freely draining sandy loam, loam, clay loam, and red earth soils.

it most drought tolerant of the commonly sown grasses,

It occurs naturally in areas with average annual rainfall from as low as 100 mm up to about 1,000 mm, but most commonly between 300 and 750 mm

Very tolerant of regular cutting or heavy grazing.

Cynodon dactylon

Synonim: Panicum dactylon, Capriola dactylon

Local name:Rumput GerintingRumput Bermuda

Native:India

Cynodon dactylon

Description

A variable perennial,

creeping by means

of stolons and rhizomes,

eight to 40 culms, (rarely) to 90 cm high: leaves hairy or glabrous

Adaptation

It has been introduced to all tropical and subtropical, and some temperate regions of the world.

Grows on a wide range of soils, but best in relatively fertile, well-drained soils.

Usually occurs over an average annual rainfall range of 625-1,750 mm, but down to 550 mm, and up to 4,300 mm.

Cynodon plectostachyus (K. Schum.) Pilger

Synonim: Leptochloa plectostachyus K. Schum.

Local name:Rumput Afrika (African Star Grass)

Native:East Africa

Cynodon plectostachyus

Description

A largely robust, sometimes fine, stoloniferous (non-rhizomatous), deep-rooted group of perennials.

It is tolerant of heavy grazing.

Adaptation

Grow on a wide range of soil types from sands to heavy clays

It grows in areas with an average annual rainfall between about 500 and 800 mm

Digitaria decumbens Stent.

Local name:Pangola grass

Native:South AfricaAfrican Tropics

Description

A stoloniferous perennial

Having the culms much branched, usually decumbent, and often rooting from the lower nodes

Height around 100 cm

Adaptation

Pangola grass will grow over a wide range of soils on wet sands or heavy clays and at low fertility levels.

It will survive droughts fairly well if established, but will not be productive

Once pangola grass is established it spreads very rapidly by stolons.

. It does not produce viable seeds.

Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.

Local name:Rumput lulanganRumput jukutRumput jampang

Eleusine indica

Description

Perennial grass, 30-60 cm tall

It has a particularly tough root system and is hard to pull out

Adaptation

Distribution: tropical and subtropical regions

It can be made into coarse hay and silage

Hypharrhenia rufa (Nees) Stapf.

Synonim: Trachypogon rufus Nees; Andropogon rufus (Nees) Kunth

(Wagner et al.1999)

Local name:Rumput jaragua

Native:Africa

Hypharrhenia rufa

Description

A very variable perennial from 60-240 cm high

The flowering stems have little leaf

Adaptation

It survives well into drought

Good on retentive soils withstands a dry season of six months

Leersia hexandra Swartz.

Local name:Rumput BentaJukut lambetaRico grass

Leersia hexandra Swartz.

Description

Stoloniferous perennial

It makes quite good hay but is difficult to harvest from swamps and is usually cut when swamps dry out

Adaptation

Distribution: throughout the tropics and subtropics.

It survives well into drought until the swamps dry out

Melinis minutiflora Beauv.

Synonim: Melinis tenuinervis StapfPanicum melinis Trin.Panicum minutiflorum (P. Beauv.) Raspail

Local name:Rumput Molasses

Native:African Tropics

Melinis minutiflora Beauv.

Description Tufted perennial up to 150 cm high, often

sticky, with a characteristic odour of molasses or cumin.

fertile culms erect or geniculately ascending

Inflorescence a panicle 10-30 cm long, with racemes initially appressed, spreading to present a pale pink to purple plume effect at anthesis

Seedling vigour: Excellent. It establishes quickly

Adaptation

It needs moderate to high rainfall in excess of 750 mm. The normal range is 960 to 1 706 mm (Russell & Webb, 1976).

Relatively drought-hardy over a dry season of four to five months.

It is tolerant to soils of fairly low fertility. When mature it will burn so fiercely that

its own seeds and roots are killed

Panicum maximum Jacc. Synonim: Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K. Simon & S.W.L. JacobsUrochloa maxima (Jacq.) R.D.WebsterPanicum hirsutissimum Steud

Local name:Rumput BenggalaRumput Guinea

Native:AfricaIndian OceanAsian

Panicum maximum Jacc.

Description

A tufted perennial, often with a shortly creeping rhizome, variable 60-200 cm high

panicle 12- 40 cm long, open spikelets 3-3.5 mm long, obtuse, mostly purple red, glumes unequal, the lower one being one-third to one-fourth as long as the spikelet

Adaptation

It will grow on a large range of soils, but produces poor stands on infertile types.

It is well adapted to sloping, cleared land in rain forest areas where it will support heavy stocking. It will tolerate acid conditions if drainage is good.

It does not tolerate waterlogging It will not tolerate heavy frosts, but

recovers from light frosts with the return of warm weather

Panicum repens L.

Local name:Rumput torpedo

Native:Tropical and North Africa Mediterranean (sometimes said to be native to Asia).

Panicum repens

Description

A rhizomatous, creeping perennial, rooting at the base, 30-90 cm tall

It is extremely palatable and nutritious over a long growing season, but at the mature stage the old leaves tend to become tough (Thorp, 1979) and are neglected by stock

Adaptation

It tolerates drought, as the rhizomes remain alive in long dry periods

Generally found on sandy soils, but some strains grow on heavy clay. The soils are always wet and of alluvial origin

Panicum repens grows well even after several days in standing water. It is frequent on lake edges, edges of dams and in swamps throughout the tropics (Sayer & Lavieren, 1975).

Tolerance to salinity: Very good

Paspalum plicatulum Michx.

Local name:Rumput plicatulum

Native:Guatemala, Venezuela

Paspalum plicatulum Michx.

Description

Tufted perennial, with open, tussocky habit, up to 1.2 m high

Leaves usually about 40 cm long, 10 mm wide, folded at the base, pilose on the upper surface at base near margins, glabrous toward the top; leaf-sheaths glabrous, ligule 1.5 mm long.

Adaptation

Rainfall requirements: At least 760 mm, preferably more than 1 000 mm up to 2 036 mm a year (Russell & Webb, 1976).

It is tolerant of a wide range of soils, including soils of low fertility which are too poor

It grows well on strongly acid to neutral, poorly drained clay loams and on excessively drained deep sandy soils (Leithead, Yarlett & Shiflet, 1971)

Paspalum conjugatum Bergius.

Local name:Buffalo grassJampang pahit

Native:American tropics

Paspalum conjugatum

Description A vigorous, creeping perennial with long

stolons, rooting at nodes, with culms ascending to erect, 40-80(-100) cm tall, branching, solid, slightly compressed.

It is used as a forage for grazing or in cut-and-carry systems, and is rated as a very important natural pasture grass in coconut plantations.

The palatability declines rapidly after flowering

It is stated that only the young stage of the grass is suitable for grazing since the fruits tend to stick in the throats of livestock and choke them

Adaptation

It is adapted to a wide range of soils

It grows from near sea-level up to 1700 m altitude in open to moderately shaded places.

It is adapted to humid climates.

Paspalum dilatatum Poir. Synonim: Digitaria dilatata (Poir.) H.J. CostePaspalum eriophorum Schult.Paspalum lanatum Spreng.Paspalum ovatum Nees ex Trin.Paspalum ovatum var. grandiflorum NeesPaspalum pedunculare J. PreslPaspalum platense Spreng. Paspalum selloi Spreng. ex NeesPaspalum velutinum Trin. ex Nees Local name:Rumput australiNative:humid subtropics of southern Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay

Paspalum dilatatum

Description

A leafy, tufted perennial with clustered stems arising from shortly creeping rhizomes; culms to 1 m; inflorescence of 3-5 racemes; spikelets ovate, about 3 mm long, fringed with silky hairs (Henty, 1969).

Adaptation

It requires a minimum of about 750 mm of annual rainfall; does best in a rainfall of about 1 250 mm, and in irrigated pastures. Maximum recorded, 1 650 mm (Russell & Webb, 1976)

The underground root-stock gives it considerable drought tolerance once it is established

It grows best in heavy, moist, fertile, alluvial and basaltic clay soils

Pennisetum purpureum Scumach.

Synonim: Pennisetum benthamii Steud

Local name:Rumput gajahNapier Grass

Native:Africa

Pennisetum purpureum Scumach.

Description

A robust perennial with a vigorous root system, sometimes stoloniferous with a creeping rhizome.

Culms usually 180-360 cm high, branched upwards. Leaf-sheaths glabrous or with tubercle-based hairs; leaf-blades 20-40 mm wide, margins thickened and shiny.

Inflorescence a bristly false spike up to 30 cm long, dense, usually yellow-brown in colour, more rarely purplish (Chippendall, 1955).

Adaptation

Grows on a wide range of soil types provided fertility is adequate. 

Grows best in deep, well-drained friable loams with a pH of 4.5-8.2 (mean 6.2). 

No readily available data on tolerance of salinity or high levels of Al and Mn.

It survives drought quite well when established because of its deep root system.

Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) M.B. Moss

Synonim: Setaria anceps Stapf.

Local name:Rumput setaria

Native:Africa

Setaria sphacelata

Description

Perennial tussock to 2 m tall, with short rhizomes. 

Leaves bluish grey-green, leaf blades soft, glabrous, to 50 cm long and up to about 1 cm wide. 

Lower parts of culms and the basal leaf-sheaths flattened. 

Inflorescence a tightly contracted panicle producing a false spike.

Adaptation Most commonly found on soils with texture

ranging from sand to clay loam and light clay, but will grow on heavy clay. 

Survives low fertility conditions but responds to improved fertility. 

Not well adapted to alkaline or very acid soils, most wild collections coming from soils of pH 5.5-6.5. 

Generally low salt tolerance 'Kazungula' is the most tolerant of poor

sandy and stony soils. 'Nandi' and 'Narok' prefer medium-textured, fertile soils.

Sorghum sudanense

Local name:Rumput Sudan

Native:Sudan, Africa

Sorghum sudanense

Description

slender annual with leafy stems up to 3 m high that grows on a variety of soils in areas with 500-900 mm of rain annually.

Drought resistant. Cultivated primarily for hay or as a pioneer grass.

With good fertility, yields two to five cuttings of very palatable fodder.

May contain prussic acid when green

Euchlaena mexicana Schrad.

Synonim: Zea mays L. subsp. mexicana (Schrad.) H. H. Iltis

Local name:TeosinteRumput Mexico

Native:Central AmericaMexico

Euchlaena mexicana

Urochloa mosambicencis (Hack.) Dandy

Synonim: Brachiaria stolonifera Gooss.Echinochloa notabile (Hook. f.) Rhind.Panicum mosambicense Hack.Urochloa pullulans Stapf, nom. illeg.Urochloa stolonifera (Gooss.) Chippind.

Local name:Rumput Sabi

Native:Africa

Urochloa mosambicencis

Description

A perennial, variable in size and habit (Burt et al., 1980)

sometimes stoloniferous or with a creeping rhizome.

Culms 120 cm or more high, sometimes rooting and branched from the lower nodes.

Adaptation

It is drought enduring. It will grow in a wide range of soils, from

clay loams to sands, but appears to be more suitable for lighter soils with relatively high fertility.

It can tolerate both acid and alkaline soils.

Tolerant of light shade.

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