Scientific cultivation and Management techniques of Sudan Grass

Sudan grass (Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf.) is an annual herb of Gramineae sorghum. Fibrous root, root system developed deep into the soil, up to 2.5 meters. The stem is erect, cylindrical, 2-3 m high and 0.8-2.0 cm thick. The tillering ability is strong, and there are many lateral branches, generally 15-25 per plant, with a maximum of 40-100. Leaves 7-8, broadly linear, 60 cm long, 4 cm wide, dark green in color, smooth surface; leaf sheath slightly longer, stemless, without auricles. Panicles, loose, slender branches, two spikelets per node, no stalk, bisexual flowers, fruiting; one stalked, male flowers, not fruiting. Sturdy spikelet glume thick and shiny. The caryopsis is flattened-ovate, and the seeds are all covered by Palea and Palea. The seed color is divided into yellow, purple and black according to different varieties, and the 1000-grain weight is 10 to 15 grams. Widely distributed in temperate zones and subtropics. It can be cultivated as far as Hainan Island in the south and Inner Mongolia in the north.

Requirements for growth environment of Sudan grass

Like warm and humid, strong drought resistance, not cold, waterlogging. The lowest temperature of seed germination was 8: 12 ℃, and the optimum temperature was 20: 30 ℃. Sudan grass can grow in areas with hot summer and moderate rainfall. It has strong drought resistance and can adapt to a wide range of soil, and can be cultivated in clay, sandy loam, slightly acidic and slightly alkaline soil. Sudan grass is drought-tolerant, high-yield, high-quality, and suitable for planting annual fine forage grass in warm and arid areas. Sudan grass has a wide range of adaptability. Sudan grass likes warmth and is not cold-tolerant. The lowest temperature of seed germination is 8 ℃, and the optimum temperature is 20: 25 ℃. Seedlings will be frozen to death when the temperature is lower than 3 ℃. The growth of adult plants became slower when it was lower than 12 ℃. The root system is strong, it is deep in the soil, and it can make use of the water and nutrition of the deep soil. The ability to resist drought is very strong, and high yield can still be obtained by planting in areas with rainfall of only 250 mm.

The requirement of soil is not strict, general soil can be planted, but it is not suitable to be planted in swamp soil and quicksand. Respond well to water and fertilizer. To achieve high yield, it is necessary to fertilize and irrigate. For subsequent cropping, more fertilizers should also be applied to ensure high yield. Sudan grass should be sown after late frost. The growth period is 100-120 days. After entering the tillering stage, it can continue to tiller in the whole growth process, and from the beginning of tillering, the growth rate is accelerated, growing 5 cm to 10 cm in a day and night. During this period, high yield can be obtained by fertilization and irrigation. According to the Northwest Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Research Institute planted in Wuwei Huangyang Town in 1959, when the management was extensive, it produced 1250 kg of grass and more than 50 kg of seeds per mu. When the water and fertilizer conditions are good, mowing grass twice a year will yield 3500 kg of grass and more than 100kg of seeds per mu.

Scientific cultivation and Management techniques of Sudan Grass

Cultivation techniques:

Cultivated Sudan grass mainly uses its stems and leaves as fodder, so there is no strict restriction on sowing and utilization period. Spring sowing can begin when the ground temperature reaches 12 degrees Celsius to 14 degrees Celsius at 10 centimeters of topsoil. Strip sowing is mostly used, and the sowing rate is mainly determined according to the soil moisture conditions, generally 3 jin per mu. Sudan grass sown in early spring is easy to be suppressed by all kinds of weeds because of its low temperature and long seedling stage. when the seedlings are 10 to 15 centimeters high, they should be ploughed and weeded once, usually twice in summer. After the Sudan grass has tillers, it is not afraid of weeds. Sudan grass has a high demand for nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer. In addition to applying basal fertilizer before sowing, it should be irrigated and fertilized in time at tillering stage, jointing stage and after each cutting. 1. Land preparation

The good predecessor of Sudan grass is legume, wheat and potato crops. Spring sowing of Sudan grass requires a ploughing depth of not less than 20 cm. Sudan grass likes fertilizer and can get high yield under the condition of high fertilizer. Usually use organic fertilizer as base fertilizer, apply 1000 to 1500 kg per mu, combined with cultivated land turned into the soil.

2. Sowing seeds

10 to 15 days before sowing and 4 to 5 days before sowing can increase the germination rate. Spring sowing Sudan grass in the north, the earlier the sowing, the higher the yield. Sow seeds when the soil temperature is stable at 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. In the south, it is sown in spring from February to March, and those sown in summer are sown immediately after the previous crop harvest. The seeds were sown in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River around late April. In the cultivation of Sudan grass and Italian ryegrass, the sowing date can be postponed, but not later than late May. In cold areas, in order to enable Sudan grass to supply grass early and fully mature before frost, it is also possible to accelerate germination and soak the seeds in warm water for 8 to 12 hours 7 to 10 days before sowing, then pile them up at temperatures of 20 to 30 degrees Celsius, covered with plastic sheeting, water once or twice a day, and sow up to half of the seeds when slightly exposed. Strip sowing, row spacing 30 cm, sowing rate 2.5 to 3 kg per mu. The mixed sowing of Sudan grass with edible beans, peas, cowpeas, lentils and wild soybeans can improve the yield and quality of fresh grass, but the regeneration of these legume crops is poor, and the mixed sowing is mainly Sudan grass. For strip sowing, the row spacing for grass harvesting is about 35 cm, with 1.5 to 2 kilograms per mu; the row spacing for harvesting is 45 to 60 centimeters, and the sowing is 1 to 1.5 kilograms per mu.

3. Field management

The seedlings of Sudan grass are thin and intolerant to weeds, so they should be ploughed and weeded in time after emergence. Plough and weed every 10 to 15 days. In the single-sown Sudan grassland, the broadleaf weeds could be eliminated by spraying 0.5% 2mai 4 class D herbicide solution for 2 to 3 times at seedling stage. Sudan grass grows rapidly and needs more fertilizer from tillering stage to booting stage. In addition to the application of base fertilizer, in principle, once a week, it is necessary to topdressing, generally applying 10 kg of ammonium sulfate per mu or a certain amount of mature human and animal manure. Timely irrigation. Sudan grass is vulnerable to armyworm, borer, aphid and so on. For those who are cut and used as green fodder, if there are aphids, they should be used immediately; if they are left in the field, they should be controlled in time. Sudan grass is a temperature-loving crop that can survive the winter safely in the subtropics and die after temperate frost. The lowest temperature for seed germination is 8 to 10 degrees Celsius. It likes light and is not tolerant to shade. Insufficient light not only reduces tiller and yield, but also has poor quality. After tillering, Sudan grass has strong drought tolerance, but sufficient water can significantly improve the yield and quality of fresh grass. Sudan grass is not strict with the soil, and can be planted in all kinds of soil, and grows best on sandy loam or clay loam. Under general cultivation conditions, the yield of fresh Sudan grass is 4000 to 6000 kg per mu, and the grass supply period is from late June to the end of September. Because of the large number of stalks, cattle and sheep are generally cut before heading, while fish, rabbits and geese are generally cut when the plant height is 70 to 80 cm. The crude protein content from jointing to heading is 8% to 10%, and its palatability is worse than that of other forages. Sudan grass silage, cut from booting stage to heading stage. If silage with mixed legume grasses, high quality silage can be obtained.