What is the difference between elephant grass and sweet elephant grass?
When raising livestock, green fodder such as elephant grass and sweet elephant grass is used, so what is the difference between elephant grass and sweet elephant grass?
1. The difference between elephant grass and sweet elephant grass
Sweet elephant grass was developed from elephant grass and is a type of green fodder more suitable for livestock to eat. Compared with elephant grass, sweet elephant grass has better palatability.
2. Basic introduction to elephant grass
Elephant grass is a perennial, clump-forming, large herbaceous plant in the grass family, Pennisetum genus. It is native to Africa. At present, it is planted in Jiangxi, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and other places in China.
Elephant grass has strong adaptability. It can generally tolerate high temperatures of 37.9°C and endure cold, dry climatic conditions in winter of 1-2°C and 20%-25% relative humidity. It can grow in both sandy soil and clay soil, and has strong resistance to soil acidity, making it a very suitable green fodder for planting.
3. Basic introduction to sweet elephant grass
Sweet elephant grass is also a plant in the grass family, Pennisetum genus. It is a new type of high-protein, high-yield forage grass widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. It can be harvested 6-8 times per year, with a yield of about 15 tons per mu.
Sweet elephant grass likes to grow in warm and humid climates. It can grow well in tropical and subtropical areas below 1200 m altitude. It has no strict requirements for soil and can grow in sandy soil, clay soil and slightly acidic soil, but soil with deep, fertile and loose layers is most suitable.
Under suitable conditions of moisture and temperature, Taiwan, China sweet elephant grass generally emerges 7~10 days after planting. After one planting, it can be harvested continuously for 7 years. After 7 years, the self-propagated bud nodes can be taken and planted again. Once successfully introduced, it can produce in an unlimited cycle without needing to be introduced again.