American 5G Napier Grass, Guatemala grass, Guatemalan grass, pasto guatemala, Super Napier, 5G grass, Smart Napier grass, Napier Grass, Pakchong 1 Super Napier, Yash Goat Farm. 5 sticks (3nodes each)

Description

Guatemala grass (Tripsacum andersonii J. R. Gray or Tripsacum laxum Nash) is a robust, strongly rhizomatous, tufted and leafy perennial grass that can form large bunches. The stems can be up to 3.5-4.5 m high and up to 1-5 cm in diameter. They develop at a very late stage and Guatemala grass remains leafy for a long time. The roots are shallow and the plant does not grow well during a long dry season. As the grass matures, the roots become stronger and store nutrients that will be necessary for regrowth after cutting (Bernal, 1991). The leaves are tall (0.4-1.2 m long x 9 cm broad), glabrous or sparsely hairy (Quattrocchi, 2006; Clayton et al., 2006; Cook et al., 2005; Bogdan, 1977). The inflorescences are subdigitate with 3 to 8 slender, elongated racemes, up to 20 cm long, containing male and female spikelets (3-5 mm long). Flowers are mostly sterile and Guatemala grass is usually propagated by stem cuttings or tuft division (Bogdan, 1977). Guatemala grass is cultivated primarily for fodder in cut-and-carry systems. It can also be used to make silage. Guatemala grass provides several environmental benefits, notably against soil erosion and the development of pests and diseases in neighbouring crops (Cook et al., 2005).