Establishment
• November, January, and February are the best seeding months
• Stop 8 weeks before the first frost is expected
• Where weeds are not a serious problem, you can plant during September/ October
• Invasion of Eragrostis can pose a problem for the lifespan of Smutsfinger grass
Utilization
• Protein content can be vary depending on the age of the plant, the season and amount of N applied
• Heavy grazing later in the season (especially February to May) can result in poor production in the following season
• It prefers long rest periods and DM production increases with longer cutting intervals compared to shorter intervals
• The protein content and the digestibility also decrease with longer intervals, but the total protein/ha will be higher as an effect of the higher DM production
• Does not like heavy grazing
• Should be grazed before piping for the highest crude protein
• Used in summer – CP about 10%
• Used in winter – CP about 8%
• Withdraw animals after December for winter usage
Soil preparation
• Soil surface must be dry. Germination will take place with the first rains.
• The subsoil must contain sufficient moisture. This will be beneficial if dry weather is experienced after germination.
IRENE
A diploid, tufted perennial with a high palatability. Well adapted to most well drained soils and grows well in mixtures with rhodes grass. These mixtures can however lead to difficulties during seed production.
