COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | CULTIVAR | TIME TO SOW | SOWING RATE | SITE PREFERENCE | UTILIZATION |
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SUMMER | | | | | | |
Babala or Pearl Millet | Pennisetum americanum | | Mid Oct – Dec | 15 – 25 | Very adaptable. | Emergency summer grazing. Good silage at heading late maturing, compared to jap millet and forage sorghum. |
Japanese Millet | Echinochloa crus-galli | | Mid Oct – Dec | 15 – 25 | Very adaptable. | Suitable for double cropping with annual temperates. Good grazing and fair silage. |
Forage sorghum | Sorghum spp. Hybrids | Sweetgrazer | Mid Oct – Dec | 15 – 25 | Very adaptable. | Emergency summer grazing and good silage if enlisted after heading. Does not yield as much and is not as disease resistant as Babala. |
Velvet bean | Macuna deeringianum | Mount Barker | Nov – Dec | 20 – 30 (50 if sown alone) | Adaptable, frost free areas. | Grown with maize in row for silage |
Soyabean (silage or hay) | Glycine max | | Oct – Nov | 50 – 60 | Deep fertile soil rich humus. | Makes very good silage with molasses or mixed 1 to 2 with maize. |
Cowpeas | Vigna unguiculata | Dr. Saunders / Iron grey Mixed | Oct – Nov | 20 – 30 (50 if sown alone) | Adaptable. | As for soya beans but does better in dryer areas. Sometimes used for hay and green manure. |
Dolichous Lablab | Lablab purpureus | Rongai | Oct – Nov | 20 – 30 | Adaptable. | As for velvet bean but does better in drier areas. |