Grass Seeds (Benih Rumput)
Quality pasture grass seed: Purple Guinea, Mombasa, and Ruzi varieties.
Purple Guinea
Purple Guinea grass, also known as Tanzania Guinea grass, is propagated from seed rather than stem cuttings. Seed for planting should be taken from stands at least 3 months old, as germination is faster within 3 months of seed collection.
Beyond animal feed and silage, this grass is also used as fuel for electricity generation, as a base material for paper, and as a mulch crop.
Mombasa
Mombasa grass (Panicum maximum) grows up to 2 metres tall with leaves 3 centimetres wide and short hairs on the upper leaf surface. It tolerates both cool weather and drought, and matures for harvest in 40 to 45 days.
It produces 20 to 40 metric tons of feed a day, about 28% more than Purple Guinea, and can support cattle weight gains of up to 770kg per head per year.
Ruzi
Ruzi grass (Brachiaria ruziziensis) is a creeping grass under 1.5 metres tall with fine seed heads. It establishes quickly from seed or stem cuttings, and is commonly used as permanent or semi-permanent pasture for grazing, cut-and-carry green feed, or hay.
Harvesting can usually begin after the first flowering and continue for the next 6 months. Ruzi suits smallholder farmers: it establishes easily and tolerates acidic soils and drought, though it is not suited to flood-prone areas.