Stargrass | |
| Species: | Stargrass |
| Scientific Name: | Cynodon nlemfuensis |
| Cultivars: | Ona, Florona, Florico |
| Growth Habit: | Sod type, erect to decumbent. Creeping stolons (runners) with flowering shoots; leaves have hairy, membranous ligule; flowers are 3-5 digitated (fingered) racemes; non-viable seeds, propagation by vegetative material. |
| Life Cycle: | Perennial |
| Origin: | Tropical east Africa. |
| Production Season: | April-October |
| Nutritive Value: | Varies depending on management and variety. Usually, low to medium crude protein,low to medium digestibility. Best nutritive value when defoliated every 4-5 weeks dropping sharply after 5 weeks. |
| Use: | Grazing, hay, silage. Tolerant of heavy grazing. |
Adaptation | |
| Soil: | Sand to Clay. Well drained but moist. Does not tolerate prolonged flooding but can survive waterlogging for 2-3 days. |
| pH: | 5.5 and 7. It may be found in wider ranges between 4.5 and 8. |
| Rainfall: | 24-110 inches. More common at rainfall of 30- 50 inches |
| Temperature: | 68 to 81°F. Not recommended north of Brooksville or Orlando because of the low winter temperatures that occur north of these areas. |
Management | |
| Planting Date: | June-August |
| Planting Depth: | 2-4 inches. |
| Seeding Rate: | 1000 to 1500 lb/acre of sprigs |
| Seed Cost: | |
| Fertilization: | Requires high fertilization. For details click this link |
| Production: | 6 tons DM/acre (ranging from 2.5 to 7 tons DM/acre). |
Notes | |
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| Click on photo to view full size. |