Both Super Napier and Red Napier are high yielding fodder grass and have few differences in the yield and protein content.
Planting Process:
Both Super Napier and Red Napier grows well from stem cutting. They can be grown best on alluvial, red soils and also grows well on well drained black soils. Stems can be planted in lines spaced at 1 feet and width at 2 feet. Almost 10,000 to 12,000 stems can be planted per acre
After 30 days of Planting:
After 30 days, Super Napier would have grown by 2 feets. But Red Napier would have just grown by 1 feet only. Weeding has to be done in the Super Napier Farm as weeds rob your plants of the benefits of the fertilizer you apply. If necessary, second spell of weeding can be done after 45 days. After that, both Super Napier and Red Napier grass will grow very fast and dense
After 45 days of Planting:
After 45 days, Super Napier would have grown by 3 feet to 4 feet. But Super Napier would have grown by 2 to 3 feet only. At this stage we can fertilizer the farm with 2 to 3 tonne of farm yard manure and irrigate the farm thoroughly. After fertilizer application the plants will start growing faster.
After 60 days of Planting:
After 60 days, Super Napier would have grown by 5 to 7 feet. But Red Napier would have grown by 3 to 5 feet. Super Napier at this stage can be harvested and fed to goats, hens, rabbits and fishes. Red Napier grass at this stage would be too small to be fed to cattles.
After 75 days of Planting:
After 75 days, Super Napier would have grown by 8 to 10 feet. But Red Napier would have grown by 5 to 6 feet. Super Napier at this stage can be harvested and fed to cows, buffaloes and horses. Red Napier at this stage can be harvested and fed to goats, hens, rabbits and fishes.
After 90 days of Planting:
After 90 days, Super Napier would have grown by 10 to 12 feet. But Red Napier would have grown by 6 to 8 feet. Both Super Napier and Red Napier at this stage can be harvested and fed to cows, buffaloes and horses. Beyond this stage, both Super Napier and Red Napier will not be in edible condition as their stems would have become hard and cattle’s will find difficult to chew them.
Yield of Super Napier and Red Napier:
Super Napier grass will be ready for harvesting after 60 days. Whereas Red Napier will be ready for harvesting after 90 days of planting.
Super Napier can give an yield of at least 40 Tonne per acre per cutting and in an year up to 240 Tonne per acre. But Red Napier will give an yield of 30 Tonne per acre per cutting and in an year up to 120 Tonne per acre.
Overall we Super Napier can be harvested at least 6 times and year. But Red Napier can be harvested at least 4 times an year.
Protein Content:
