Super napier is a high yielding green fodder grass. The grass can yield up to 200 tonnes per acre in a year, furthermore, chopped super napier can be made silage by adding molasses to it.
First step in planting is land preparation. Prepare soil and make furrows with a gap of 3 feet. Plant super napier stems in the furrows at a distance of 2 feet at an angle of 45 degrees. Cover them with soil up to 2 inches and then irrigate to enhance germination. About 10,000- 12,000 stems can be planted in one acre. Weeding is done after 30 days of planting and a second spell of weeding can be done after 45 days if needed.
Growth and irrigation
After 45 days, super napier will have grown up to 3-4 feet in height. Leaves will be flats, linear and hairy at the base. The leaves will have grown up to 100cm long and 5cm wide.
Irrigation is done every 7 days depending on the soil type. Waste water from the cattle shed can be used for irrigation since it is full of nutrients and supports faster growth of plants. In addition, drip irrigation can also be used.
Fertilizing super napier
Organic manure is the best fertilizer for the super napier plants. Apply the manure closer to the stems. Liquid fertilizer can also be used if drip irrigation is available. One acre of land requires up to five tonnes of manure.
Harvest periods and technique
While harvesting, cut the stem from ground level so that new shoots will start growing. After 60 days, the plant would have grown by 5-6 feet long and the grass can be harvested and fed to chickens, ducks and rabbits since the leaves will be very palatable and stems are tender and juicy.
After 75 days, the plants will have grown by 8-1o feet long. They can be harvested using grass cutter and fed to larger animals like cows and horses.
