What Is the Difference Between Napier Grass and King Grass? A Detailed Explanation of Their Differences
The leaf blades of King grass are wider and softer than those of Napier grass, and the leaf color is lighter, with 2-3 more green leaves. Moreover, King grass was developed through crossbreeding and selection of Napier grass and American pearl millet, and belongs to the C4 plants. It is a new type of high-efficiency cash crop.
I. Basic Information on Napier Grass
1. Distribution
Napier grass is native to Africa. It has been introduced and cultivated in India, Myanmar, Oceania and the Americas. It has been successfully introduced and cultivated in Jiangxi, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and other places in China.
2. Growth
Napier grass has very strong ecological adaptability. It can generally withstand high temperatures of 37.9°C and endure cold, dry climatic conditions in winter of 1-2°C and a relative humidity of 20%-25%, without dying. In addition, Napier grass can grow in both sandy soil and clay soil, and has strong resistance to soil acidity, being planted in red soil with a pH value of 4-5.
3. Value
Forage: Napier grass is easy to plant, has good palatability and higher nutritional value than ordinary plants, and is good feed for wild and domestic animals.
Raw material for the paper industry: A paper mill in Guilin, Guangxi once used Napier grass to make glazed paper, single-coated paper and match paper, and all physical indicators met the standards.
New bioenergy: Napier grass can be used for the production of ethanol, biogas and electricity.
Ecological benefits: Napier grass can conserve water sources, purify the air and regulate the climate, as well as conserve soil and water and stabilize embankments and protect slopes.
II. Basic Information on King Grass
1. Distribution
King grass can be planted in most parts of the country, especially in the barren hills and river basins of the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
2. Growth
King grass is suitable for cultivation in tropical and subtropical climates, and prefers a warm and humid climate. Its growth requires more than 1000 hours of sunshine, an average annual temperature above 15°C, and an altitude of 200—1500 m.
3. Value
Environmental protection: It can serve as a high-quality forage grass for preventing soil erosion.
Papermaking: In the papermaking industry, the argon-sodium pulping method makes it easy to meet environmental standards, and the equipment for treating wastewater is simple with low investment. The secondary pulp can be used to produce high-grade backing paper, copy paper, currency paper, trademark paper and high-grade aluminum foil backing paper.
Building materials: It can be used to manufacture high-grade paper products, as well as low-cost fiberboard and wall materials for building decoration projects.
New fuel: King grass has an extremely high biological yield and has great potential for developing fuel energy.
Forage: King grass is not only rich in nutrients, but can also be cut 6-8 times a year. The fresh grass yield can reach 20-25 t/667 sq m. The fresh leaves and tender stems are soft and juicy, with good palatability.