Pennisetum purpureum , also known as Napier grass , Ugly grass or Ugandan grass , is a genuine enduring tropical grass species of African grassland. It has low water and nutrient requirements, and therefore can use uncultivated land. Historically, this wild species has been used primarily for grazing; recently, however, have been incorporated into pest management strategies. This technique involves the desired plant planted next to a 'pushing' plant, which repels pests, in combination with 'pulling' plants around the plot, which attracts insects out of the plot. Napier grass has shown the potential to attract moth borer (the main cause of loss of yield in Africa) away from corn and hence is an "attractive" plant. This strategy is much more sustainable, serves more goals and is more affordable for farmers than the use of insecticides. In addition, Napier grass improves soil fertility, and protects the dry soil from soil erosion. It is also used for fire insulation, windbreaks, in pulp production and most recently to produce bio-oil, biogas and charcoal.
Video Pennisetum purpureum
Description
Pennisetum purpureum is the eternal grass of Monocot C4 in Poaceae family. It's tall and forms a clump of strong bamboo. It is a heterozygous plant, but the seed is rarely fully formed; more often reproduction vegetatively through the stolon that shoots horizontally above the ground that extends from the parent plant to the offspring. This species has a high biomass production, about 40 tons/ha/year and can be harvested 4-6 times per year. In addition it requires low water and nutrient input.
Napier can be propagated through seeds, but because seed production is inconsistent, collection is difficult. Alternatively, it can be planted through stole stole cuttings. Cuttings can be planted by inserting them along the 75 cm wide grooves, both along and between lines.
Maps Pennisetum purpureum
Pull Withdrawal Management Strategy
Stemborers ( Busseola fusca and Chilo partellus ) account for 10% of total yield loss in South and East Africa and an average of 14-15% in sub-Saharan Africa. The larvae cause major damage to corn and sorghum by digging into their trunks and feeding from the inside. This not only makes them difficult to detect and remove but also damage the vascular tissue necessary for plant growth. The effectiveness of insecticides is low against stemborers, because the larvae are protected by a protective cell wall layer around the stem. Insecticides are also expensive for poor farmers and can build chemical resistance by pests. In addition, chemicals are brought into the final food product. Instead of trying to prevent pests, push-pull strategies (also known as antidotes) aim to guide the inevitable biological evolution to prevent damage to valuable crops. This method proposes that sorghum or corn is intercropped with Desmodium ("impulse" of the plant), which repels moths when they see to spawn. Desmodium also provides ground cover and nitrogen fixation, which increases soil fertility while reducing the labor involved with weeding. This antidote is used in combination with the Napier grass that is planted around the plot. A study of Kenyan farmers using the push-pull strategy reported an 89% decrease in Striga (a kind of parasitic weed), an increase in soil fertility by 83%, and a 52% effectiveness in borer control. Given that striga, stemborers, and low soil fertility together result in a loss of yield of about 7 billion US dollars or enough to feed 27 million people, the application of this technique can significantly reduce food insecurity.
Push-pull pest management
While promising as a sustainable and affordable option, successful push-pull pest management is highly dependent on proper implementation in combination with other good ecological practices. First, not all varieties of Napier grass serve as a trap. In a study of eight varieties, only two bananas and Ugandan hairless Napier varieties significantly attracted female moths for the placement of eggs over maize. Of these two, only bana significantly decreases survival rates. On farmland, it is recommended that three rows of Napier grasses be planted as border plants around the entire field. The potential exists to improve the push-pull strategy through further trials with different intercropping, by manipulating allelochemicals in each intercropping, and by investigating the sensitivity of insects to natural chemicals. Once prominent in the field, it is difficult to get rid of the borer area as the larvae can remain active, and therefore push-pull management will not have the desired effect. It is recommended that if the infestation is very severe, both corn and sorghum should be planted in the same field the following year but rotated with other plants. It is also important to burn an infected stalk or, if they have the intended use, to leave it in the sun for three days. The use of push-pull pest management should be used in combination with good ecological practices to produce the desired results. Finally, the formation of push-pull systems requires an increase in manpower at major stages and large enough land to allow room for non-food crops to be planted; these factors often hinder adoption. A program can increase the rate of adoption through promoting its use in combination with livestock, providing economic value for Napier planting. More information can be found at http://www.push-pull.net/as well as specific for implementation at http://www.push-pull.net/farmers_guide_2012.pdf.
Other uses
Napier grass is the most important cattle feed for dairy farmers in East Africa. Its high productivity makes it perfect for feeding cows and buffalo. It is also an important forage for elephants in Africa, hence its name is "elephant grass". Hairless varieties, like Ugandan not hairy, have a higher value as animal feed. Being able to grow with less water and nutrients, grazing has made the use of productive dry land for food production. Furthermore, livestock can be incorporated into pull-push management systems that provide other economical purposes for 'trap' installations. Napier grass is especially valuable for the African landscape as it prevents soil erosion. It can also serve as a fire breaker, break the wind, and increase soil fertility. More recently, Napier has been used to reduce the pressure on food production because there are 2Gha of unplanted land suitable for energy crop production. Thermal pyrolytic conversion is used to produce charcoal, biogas and bio-oil. Although this technology is not currently in use, this technology can be implemented as a means to provide energy for the people of Africa, while enriching the soil of the local landscape. It is also used as a fuel source. Young leaves and shoots can be eaten and cooked to make soup and stew.
References
External links
Data related Pennisetum purpureum in Wikispecies
- Missouri Botanical Garden horticulture treatments - Pennisetum purpureum
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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