The potential of three sub-tropical grasses in the East London coastal belt

Abstract

The growth and production of star grass, kikuyu and coastcross II in the coastal belt north east of East London, and the influence of nitrogen fertilization on the yield of these grasses, is discussed. The results indicate that there is an interaction between rainfall and the yield of the three grasses. The yield of kikuyu is significantly lower than that of star grass and coastcross II, while there is no difference between the latter two grasses. Nitrogen fertilization had a highly significant influence on the yield of the three grasses. The quality of the herbage is adequate to maintain a high level of animal production.

Keywords: growth|production|star grass|grasses|kikuyu|coastcross|coastal belts|East London|nitrogen|fertilisers|yields|rainfall|herbage quality|Eastern Cape Province