Benefits
- Adapted to warm, low rainfall areas in SA
- Relative good drought resistance – rhizomes to produce more tillers
- Widely addapted to soils – except light sand
- Prefer alcaline soils
- Deep roots - 1 500 mm
- Normally for cattle – also sheep, horses, hay making
Establishment
- November, February and March
- 3-6kg/ha
- Rolling action essential
Soil preparation
- Reacts favourably when soils are loosened before the summer rains
- Heavy soils that cracks during winter needs less loosening than lighter soils
- Cultivations should not be done in winter – can lead to dying off of grass
Utilisation
- Grazing normally starts in November – grass 300 mm high
- Best if grass is lightly grazed or completely eaten down
- If not, the result would be a mix of new leaves and old stalks - unpalatable
- Very quick rotation or relative long grazing period
- Beginning of summer – grass grows faster – difficult to implement grazing systems
- Recommended to make hay or be rested for winter
- End of winter – all old material to be removed
- Keep as leafy as possible