Dozens of dairy farmers in Murang’a county have swiftly embraced the hybrid Super Napier grass (pakchong 1) that has been ranked amongst the fastest growing animal fodder crop worldwide.
The Super Napier is a hybrid obtained by crossing the ordinary napier (elephant grass) with pearl millet.
A farm consultant in Murang’a, James Gathumbi, said the Super Napier has become the most sought after grass by dairy farmers due to its milk boosting capabilities.
It also has a high protein content of 18 per cent which is crucial for milk production and is ready for harvest less than 60 days after planting.
“This grass is a game changer in the dairy production industry as it has a very high biomass with a protein content of 18 per cent which is double the amount of protein found in ordinary Napier grass,” Gathumbi said.
“It is a fast growing fodder that will attain a height of 2.4 metres just 60 days after planting and is a highly vegetative plant.”
Super Napier vegetates very fast and does well in all types of soil since it is a drought-resistant grass even though irrigation and manuring could be used to spur quick regrowth.
“It is also not attacked by pests and diseases that attack the ordinary Napier,” Gathumbi said.
From an acre piece of land, a farmer could harvest up to 200 tonnes of the pakchong 1 Super Napier per year and the grass will remain productive for up to nine years once it is planted.
It is highly palatable to livestock including rabbits and is easy to handle for farmers as it lacks the short pricking itchy hairs common with traditional napier varieties.
The farm consultant added that if feedlotting is done and the super napier is fed to bulls, it has been found to increase the bulls’ weight with between 800 grammmes to a kilo per day.
Additionally in Super Napier fed dairy cows, the Total Mixed Ration daily meal cost goes down as a farmer will require only three daily meals instead of 10 so as to give the animal enough energy.
Peter Mwangi, a dairy farmer in Thanju, Murang’a county, has grown the Super Napier on a portion of his land and attests that his dairy milk production has increased tremendously.
“I got a few cuttings from a friend in Kiambu county last year which I harvested even before I transplanted from the nursery due to its fast growth,” Mwangi said.
“I had spaced one metre by one metre and within a short time, the grass had grown and filled that space and even overgrown to other areas.
“As a result, my daily milk production has increased from 20 litres to 50 litres.”
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