Blue panic

Introduction

• Scientific name: Panicum antidotale
• Extremely drought resistant and remains green throughout the year if minimum temperature remains not less than 15⁰
• Suited to sandy-to-sandy loam soils with low to medium fertility and inadequate facilities.
• Forms good hay and silage.
• CP ranges from 6-8% that can go upto 10-15% under more fertile conditions.

Climate

• Adopted to the tropical and sub-tropical areas.
• Although is drought tolerant and can survive warm and dry weather.
• Grows vigorously only with the onset of monsoon and seasonal rainfall of 500-750 mm.
• Is fairly cold tolerant and can tolerate temporary water-logged condition.

Plant characteristics

• Tufted perennial, glabrous and grows upto 2 m height.
• Has short, thick and bulbous rhizomes and deep roots.
• The clumps are thick with a number of tillers arising from the rhizomes.
• The inflorescence is a lax panicle upto 30 cm long with a number of branches carrying spikelets on slender short pedicels.

Toxicities

• Likely to contain levels of hydrocyanic acid which may prove to be dangerous for foraging animals.
• Treatment consists of 3 g of sodium nitrate and 15 g of sodium thiosulphate in 20 ml water, injected intravenously.

Soil conditions

• Well drained alluvial sandy loams are the best.
• Is tolerant to saline soils and does quite well when the salts are flushed out with a few brisk showers of rain or irrigation water.
• 2-3 ploughing and harrowing would be enough unless the land is very weedy.

Sowing/fertilization

• Propagated by seeds, wither drilled in rows or broadcast.
• Usually sown in rows 45 cm spart.
• When drilled should not be covered more than 1 cm.
• 6-7 kg seeds/ha for broadcasting or about 2 kg when sown in rows.
• Responds well to the application of nitrogen fertilizer about 35 kg/ha as other cereal forages.

Harvesting and yield

• First cut after 3 months of sowing and second cut after two months by end of November.
• Upto 5-6 cuttings are possible under irrigated condition.
• A yield of 40-50 t of green herbage mass per ha. Can be obtained from 3-4 cuts in the monsoon seasons.
• Yield slowly declined after second year onward.