Cultivation and management techniques of Bahia grass

Bahia grass is suitable for growing in tropical and subtropical areas where the annual precipitation is higher than 750 mm. Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Fujian, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui and other southern areas are suitable for planting. The requirement to the soil is not strict, and the growth ability is still very strong on the sandy soil with low fertility and drought. With many basal leaves, developed stolons, high coverage and low level of maintenance and management, it is an excellent plant for road slope protection, soil and water conservation and greening in the south.

Cultivation value

Bahia grass has tender stems and leaves, rich nutrition, complete kinds of amino acids, high glutamic acid content and good palatability. it is a high-quality forage grass for cattle, sheep, pig rabbits, geese, fish, etc., such as feeding pigs can save 10% concentrate. The annual output of fresh grass is 4 to 75000 kg per hectare. The effect of improving soil and increasing fertilizer is good. According to the survey, after three or five years of planting, soil organic matter can be increased by 2%. Bahia grass is an excellent grass species for soil and water conservation because of its rapid growth, good mulching performance and remarkable soil consolidation and water conservation. In addition, Bahia grass has a long green period, a large number of leaves, a thick grass layer, especially resistant to trampling, and can be used as a planting material for greening and beautification.

Cultivation techniques

1. Key points of cultivation techniques: select suitable varieties, such as small leaf species with cold tolerance, strong fecundity of seedlings, rapid growth, and 50% seed germination rate. The large-leaf species are not cold-resistant and are not suitable for winter reproduction, but the grass yield is high and the seed germination rate is very low, generally 20%, generally propagated by cutting. Bahia grass is mainly propagated by ramet and cut by stolon. Because of its rooting on the node, it is very easy to survive, and the survival rate can reach 100%. The stolon can be used as a cuttage for every 2 nodes, and the annual reproduction coefficient is as high as 50. The requirements of sowing and raising seedlings are more strict, the seeds must be treated with pine glume, and the germination rate is not high. Sowing is the most 112.5 kg / ha. It is better to plant Bahia grass from March to June, and it can also survive in autumn. Generally, 9-120000 plants per hectare are planted. Turn 20cm deep before planting, apply 375kg of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and 3000 to 4200 kg of livestock fertilizer per hectare as base fertilizer, properly water once or twice after planting in summer drought, weed should be removed in time at the initial stage of planting, and the surface can be completely covered after 2 to 3 months. According to the growth situation, 225 to 300 kg / ha of nitrogen fertilizer was applied in time to promote the tillering and growth of Bahia grass, so as to increase the yield of fresh grass.

2. Sowing: Bahia grass had better be planted in spring or early summer. If there is no sufficient rainfall or good irrigation conditions, do not sow seeds in the hottest time in summer, otherwise the seedling emergence effect is very bad. If it is used as a lawn, the sowing rate of Bahia grass is 15g/m2 and the sowing depth is 1 cm. If soil and water conservation or forage is used, the sowing rate can be reduced appropriately. Within 3-5 weeks after sowing, a small amount of irrigation should be carried out many times a day, and the times of irrigation should be reduced after the seedlings come out, but the amount of irrigation should be increased in order to promote the development of the root system of Bahia grass. The successfully established Bahia grass lawn has very strong drought resistance and does not need frequent irrigation. Due to the slow germination and establishment of Paspalum seeds, it can be mixed with about 10% of perennial ryegrass or annual ryegrass to improve the speed of turf formation and reduce the harm of weeds. Variety: compared with common varieties, Pensacola has stronger erect growth and thinner leaves. It has strong roots and strong invasiveness, so it is suitable for soil and water conservation and ordinary green space construction. It grows well on barren sandy soil and has a very good mixed effect with carpet grass, Bermudagrass and other grasses.

3. Maintenance and management: Bahia grass has good drought tolerance, but it grows best under regular irrigation or relatively uniform rainfall. In areas where there is no frost in winter, Cassia grass can remain green all the year round. In areas with relatively low winter temperatures, Cassia grass has a certain withering period, and it can be sowed with annual or perennial ryegrass to keep the lawn green.

Disease prevention and cure

Bahia grass can be sowed in spring or autumn, and it is most suitable for spring sowing in South China when the average temperature is more than 15 degrees from March to May. Autumn sowing should be carried out before the middle of September. It can also be well mixed with aggressive Bermudagrass and carpet grass with a sowing rate of 1015kg / mu. Compacted with roller after sowing, it is best to use spray sowing when planting in areas with a certain slope. The sowing amount during spraying is 25 kg / mu, and water is irrigated once a day in the morning and evening after sowing to keep the surface soil moist. The growth rate of Bahia grass in seedling stage is relatively slow, the seedling is weak, the competitiveness with weeds is weak, and the harm of weeds in seedling stage is more serious. Therefore, special attention should be paid to weed control before and after sowing.