SUDA.N GRASS.

IT. N. Vi NAH, Agronomist, Office of Forage-Crop Invesligaliiuix.

CONTENTS.

Tage. Origin of Sudan grass 3 Description of Sndaa grasa 3 Climatic requirements 6 Drought relations 7 Soil requirements 8 I'laco In the cropping system 9 Value In Irrigated regions 9 Sudan grass and legume mixtures 10 ri:C. Culture 11 r I ih/nl iim 10 Feeding value ' 20 Si'i'il production 21 Diseases of Sudan grass 24 Insect enemies of Sudan grass 28 linprovi-mi'nt of Sudan grass 27 ORIGIN OF SUDAN GRASS. DOUBTLESS Johnson grass Would bo a much moro valuable hay plant for tho Southern States if it were not equipped with vigorous underground stems. Recognizing this fact, systematic search for forms of andropogons lacking these aggressive rootstocks was begun under tho direction of C. V. Piper, Agrostologist in Charge of tho Office of Forage-Crop Investigations. With tho assistance of the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, S ounces of seed of a grass known as Garawi was obtained on March 15, 1909, from Mr. R, Ilewison, Director of Agriculture and Lands of the Sudan Government at Khartum.1 A portion of this seed was planted at the Forage-Crop Field Station, Chillicotho, Tex., that spring. The grass proved very promising there, and it has since been grown at many other points. In order that it might have a distinctive name it was called Sudan grass.

DESCRIPTION OF SUDAN GRASS.

Under cultivation in tho United States, Sudan grass has shown itself to be distinctly an annual. Only under practically frost-free conditions, such as obtain along the Gulf coast and in southern California, have plants lived over winter. This grass is very closely related to the cultivated sorghums and hybridizes with them readily. The fact that it has no rootstocks places it nearer tho cultivated sorghums than Johnson grass, though for many years Johnson grass ' riper, C. V. Sudan grass, a now drought-resistant hay plant. U. S. Dept. of Agr., Bur. Plant Indus, dr. 125,20 p. 1913.

Oakley, R, A. riomo now grasses lor the South. In Yearbook, Department of Agriculture, for 1U12, p. 495-604. 3