Hello Sir
The major states in which Napier grass is grown in India are Assam, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Haryana.
Napier grass or elephant grass is a well known perennial grass which gives fodder all the year round i.e. during summer as well as winter.
Napier grass grows throughout the year in the tropics and sub-tropics regions. It requires warm and moist climate. The temperature range between 15OC to 30°C is suitable for its growth and development. Cold weather retards its growth, therefore in winter its gives less cuttings than in summer. A well distributed rain i.e. about 100 cm/year is suitable for this crop.
It tolerates a pH range from 5 to 8. So loamy and sandy soils are very much preferred to heavy soils.
Very good yields can be obtained from very deep fertile soil rich in organic matter and plant nutrients.
First ploughing is done with a mouldboard plough and then with a cultivator two to three times. Planking should be done after every ploughing and remove all the stones, weeds, etc. from the field. Make a good drainage system as the crop cannot survive in waterlogged soils.
The crop is propagated by vegetative means as the grass, does not produce viable seeds. The cuttings are used having 2 to 4 nodes with buds. One bud is buried underground for the sprouting of shoots at a distance of 90 x 60 cm.
About 2,80,000 to 2,82,000 root slips or stem cuttings are needed for planting one hectare. The stocks should be true to the type, free from diseases and pests and avoid planting of damaged stocks.
There are many promising varieties, like Pusa Napier-I, Pusa Napier-2, EB-4, Gajraj, NB-5, NB-2l, and NB-393.
Soon after planting the plot should be irrigated well. During winter season a fortnightly irrigation and after rainy season, every 3rd week are given. Proper drainage system should be provided as the crops cannot withstand water stagnation.
Weeding may be done either by hand hoe or wheel hoe or by post-emergence spray of 2-4D @ 1 kg per hectare. Two to three weedings are sufficient to keep the weeds out of the field.
To improve the quantity and quality of the fodder during kharif season, cowpeas are grown in between the rows of napier grass at 90 cm apart and fodder crops like Berseem or lucerne are planted during rabi season.
Intercropping with legume crops improves quality of the fodder as well as fertility of the soil. In winter the crops that can be grown as inter crop are pea, oats, barley, chinese cabbage, senji, etc. In summer the crops like cowpea, guar, bajra, maize, sorghum, etc. are grown.
Napier grass is an assured fodder for the animal throughout the year. Its harvesting is slow in the early period, after planting, but goes on increasing after each cutting. The first cutting is taken in about 70 days after planting and subsequent cutting at 40 days intervals.
A well developed field of napier grass can yield about 1500 quintals of green fodder during third year per hectare.
Very cold atmospheric temperature, below 15°C, is injurious to the plant growth and frost kills the growing and dividing cells in the tip region of the shoot. The stagnant water for prolonged period leads to root-rotting.
