What forage grass varieties are suitable for planting for sheep farming?

What forage grass varieties are suitable for raising sheep? Choosing forage grass varieties for sheep farming is just like choosing seeds for planting crops: you select forage grass seeds suited to your region's climate and soil. A good choice not only grows fast but also yields high. Forage grass is the best feed for raising sheep, and good forage can also indirectly increase the profit from sheep farming. There are many kinds of forage grass suitable for raising sheep, and the main varieties suitable for raising sheep are: alfalfa, ryegrass, Sudangrass hybrid, Sudan grass, and so on.

Alfalfa

Alfalfa, originally named purple alfalfa and also known as lucerne, is a perennial herb of the order Rosales, family Fabaceae, genus Medicago. Its roots are thick and strong, extending deep into the soil, with a well-developed root crown. The stems are erect, clustered to prostrate, four-angled, hairless or slightly covered with soft hairs, with lush branches and leaves. It is cultivated or semi-wild throughout the country. It grows at field edges, roadsides, open fields, grasslands, riverbanks and gullies. It is widely planted across Eurasia and around the world as feed and forage grass.

Ryegrass

Ryegrass is a plant of the family Poaceae, genus Lolium, with about 10 species, including forage grasses and pasture grasses of the temperate regions of Eurasia as well as some poisonous weeds. Ryegrass is an important cultivated forage grass and green manure crop.

The genus Lolium has about 10 species, and China has 7. Among them, perennial ryegrass and Italian ryegrass are cultivated forage grasses of economic value. They are now widely cultivated in New Zealand, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom as forage for cattle and sheep. They are excellent forage grasses widely introduced and cultivated in various places. They grow in meadow grasslands and are commonly seen in wet places by roadsides. They are widely distributed in the Kashmir region, Pakistan, Europe, the warm temperate zone of Asia, and northern Africa.

Sudangrass hybrid

Sudangrass hybrid is based on the principle of heterosis, produced by crossing sorghum and Sudan grass, and is a new forage grass most recently approved by the Third National Forage Variety Approval Committee. Sudangrass hybrid combines the thick stems and wide leaves of sorghum with the strong tillering and regrowth ability of Sudan grass, and its heterosis is very obvious. The hay contains crude protein and has a relatively high sugar content, making it suitable for silage. It can be used to raise cattle, sheep, rabbits, geese and fish and other livestock and poultry, and it shows high quality and high yield in production, with obvious benefits.

Sudan grass

Sudan grass can grow in areas with hot summers and moderate rainfall. It has strong drought resistance and a wide range of soil adaptability; it can be cultivated in clay, sandy loam, and slightly acidic and slightly alkaline soils. Sudan grass is an annual excellent forage grass that is drought-tolerant, high-yielding, of good quality, and suitable for planting in warm, dry regions.

Sudan grass has wide adaptability. Sudan grass likes warmth and is not cold-tolerant. The minimum temperature for seed germination is 8°C, and the optimum temperature is 20-25°C; seedlings suffer frost damage or are completely killed when exposed to temperatures below 3°C. Growth of mature plants slows when the temperature is below 12°C. Its root system is strong and penetrates deep into the soil, enabling it to use water and nutrients from deep soil layers.

Sudan grass has extremely strong drought resistance, and a relatively high yield can still be obtained when planted in areas with only 250 mm of rainfall. It is not demanding about soil and can be planted in general soils, but it should not be planted in swamp soil or shifting sand land.

Sudan grass responds well to water and fertilizer. To obtain high yield, fertilization and irrigation are necessary, and for the following crop, more fertilizer should also be applied to ensure a high yield.

Sudan grass is best sown after the last frost. Its growth period is 100-120 days, and after entering the tillering stage it can continue tillering throughout the entire growth process. Moreover, from the start of tillering, its growth rate accelerates, growing 5-10 cm in a single day; during this period, fertilization and irrigation can achieve high yield.

When Sudan grass is managed extensively, it yields 1250 kg of fresh grass per mu and more than 50 kg of seed. When water and fertilizer conditions are good, cutting twice a year yields 3500 kg of fresh grass per mu and more than 100 kg of seed.

Here the editor especially recommends using Sudangrass hybrid to raise sheep. Sudangrass hybrid is an annual grass-family forage grass, and this variety combines the thick stems and large leaves of sorghum with the strong tillering and regrowth ability of Sudan grass. It has a long growth period, can be cut 2-3 times, has high yield, is rich in nutrition, and has a high digestibility. It can be used fresh or made into silage or dried green hay.