Napier (Pennisetum purpureum):

• It is perennial cereal fodder crop
• It can be grown well in marginal land.
• This crop is also k/a “Elephant grass”.
• It gives yield continuously upto 4-5 years.

Climate and altitude:

• It can be cultivated in tropical to temperate climatic condition.
• Suitable temperature for best production is 30°C
• It can be grown from Terai to High Hills (59-1500m asl).

Soil Type:

• It can be cultivated in various soils but gives best results when grown in heavy soils having nutrient fertility.
• Tolerates mild salinity
• It cannot tolerate water-logging.

Land preparation:

• 2-3 ploughing is necessary to get very fine soils.
• Then harrowing for 2 times
• After ploughing, planking is done to level soil surface.
• Ridges and furrows are made at distance of 60 cm.

Seed rate: 10,000 slips/sets or stem cutting/ha

Sowing season:

• Falgun-Chaitra (Feb-May)- Under irrigated conditions
• Jestha-Ashad (June-August)- For rain fed areas

Method of sowing:

• Stem containing at least 3 nodes/internodes are planted in prepared field at 45° angle at depth of 7-8 cm in furrow.
• Distance between stem cutting is 15cm and distance between rows of plantation should be 50 cm.
• 2 internodes are buried and one internode is above soil.

Fertilizer dose:

• FYM: 20-25 MT/ha
• Nitrogen: 50 kg/ha
• Phosphorus: 50 kg/ha
• Potash: 40 kg/ha
• Full dose of nitrogen, full dose of phosphorus and potash are applied at field preparation before sowing. Then, after each cutting, 30 kg nitrogen/ha can be applied.

Harvesting Time:

• First cutting can be obtained after 3 months of plantation.
• Then, subsequent cutting can be obtained after 1.5 months’ interval.
• 6-8 cuttings can be obtained.
• Grass should be cut 10-15 cm above ground surface.

Production:

• Green fodder production: 120-150 MT/ha
• Seed production: 10,000-11,000 set/ha

Common varieties: N.B-5, N.B-17, N.B-35, N.B-21, E.B-4, GFRI-6, Thin Napier

Nutrient content of Napier: