Newly-Introduced African Kikuya Grass Can Be Farmed With Success

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 35, 6 April 1948, Page 8

Newly-Introduced African Kikuya Grass Can Be Farmed With Success

Recently it has been reported that kikuya grass has been found growing in patches in different places on the Hauraki Plains. One or two farmers have scattered areas ox it on their farms antd recently a patch of it has been identified, growing on the run-way of the Thames aerodrome at Parawai.

It is believed to be used quite extensively on the South African playing fields, whence it originally came, so it should prove quite good on the aerodrome run-way, but. for farming purposes great care must be exercised. Mr G. Banfield, agriculture instructor at Thames, reports that the grass can be farmed with success under certain conditions. As this grass makes severe demands on the soil, it must be topdressed, since if kikuya is to be of value as a means of production and not a liability, then the fertility of the soil must be maintained at' a high level. In fact, it is of little'use to have this grass growing under conditions, particularly in 'soils of low humus content.

It must, like all grasses, be grown in conjunction with clovers, which are necessary to provide adequate nitrogen for the grasses. It must be intensively grazed, otherwise it becomes coarse and unpalatable. Apart from climatic conditions, maximum conductivity of kikuya can well be said to depend on both intensive grazing and intensive fertilising. It must be remembered that it is most aggressive, spreading rapidly by both surface and underground runners. For this reason it should never be introduced where cultivation for crops is intended at any time. The grass is high in feed value and production when properly farmed.