Appearance: It is a tall, slender, and leafy annual grass that can grow to a height of 3 to 8 feet.
Growth habit: Known for its rapid growth and excellent regrowth after cutting or grazing, which allows for multiple harvests in a single season.
Adaptation: It is well-suited to hot, dry climates and well-drained soils, making it resilient during periods of drought.
Hybrids: Sudan grass is often crossbred with grain sorghum to produce sorghum-sudangrass hybrids. These hybrids are more productive but have thicker stems and larger leaves than pure sudan grass.
Uses in East Africa
Livestock feed: Sudan grass is primarily used as a forage for ruminants like cattle, sheep, and goats. It can be fed fresh (cut-and-carry), grazed, or preserved as hay or silage.
Summer forage: Its drought resistance makes it a valuable feed source during the summer months when perennial pastures may be dormant or stressed.
Emergency crop: Due to its fast growth and high yield, it can be planted as an emergency forage to address feed shortages.
Important safety consideration
Prussic acid poisoning: A significant risk with sudan grass, particularly after a drought or frost, is the accumulation of prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide). This can be toxic to livestock.
To mitigate this, it is recommended to test the forage for toxins and follow proper harvesting and grazing management practices, such as delaying grazing after a frost and not harvesting young or stressed plants.
Grazing should not occur until the grass is at least 20–24 inches tall.
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