Performance of Southern African Digitaria spp. in southern Queensland

Abstract

Dry matter production and quality of 45 Digitaria accessions were measured over the period 1964-70. In three experiments at Samford, south-east Queensland, the accessions were fertilized with either 336 or 672 kg ha-1 of N a year and cut four-weekly. Both total and cool season production was measured. Highest annual yields were produced by D. smutsii (40,000 kg ha-1), D. macroglossa (37,000 kg ha-1) and D. decumbens (30,000 kg ha-1). D. decumbens yielded up to 5000 kg ha-1 dry matter between May and September compared with up to 6800 kg ha-1 from D. pentzii, 6700 kg ha-1 from D. macroglossa and 6400 kg ha-1 from D. smutsii. In two other experiments persistence and production of nine accessions were compared with those of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) on heavy, gilgaied clay soil at Meandarra, Queensland and with Panicum coloratum var. makarikariense on a shallow, self mulching, sedentary black earth at Southbrook, Queensland. D. decumbens showed the greatest potential for persistence and production at Meandarra and one strain of D. smutsii had the greatest yields at Southbrook. Digestibility and mineral content varied little between species and were generally satisfactory for animal production. Digitaria tended to be higher in phosphorus content than P. coloratum and C. gayana.

Die geskiedenis van smutsvingergras met spesiale verwysing na die hoëveldstreekthe history of smuts finger grass with special reference to the highveld region

“…GEVOLG TREKKINGS Die potensiaal van Smutsvingergras as weidingsgewas is reeds vroeg in hierdie eeu besef. Selfs in die buiteland is daar belangstelling vir hierdie gras, byvoorbeeld in die VSA (Oaks, 1973), Australia (Strickland, 1974) …”

Breeding and evaluation of Digitaria eriantha for improved spring yield and seed production

“…In South Africa annual production of seed averages 50 tonnes (Dannhauser, 1985), indicating large areas are sown . In Australia the cultivar Premier was registered in 1987 (Oram, 1990), having been found to be productive at a range of sites in south-east Queensland (Strickland, 1974 ;Strickland & Haydock, 1978) . Only limited areas had been sown by 1991 .…”

“…Dannhauser (1985) noted that the commercially-grown South African material was heterogeneous . In Australia, Strickland (1974) evaluated 11 accessions at up to 5 sites, together with 34 other accessions of the same genus (mostly in taxa now included in D. eriantha and D. milanjiana) . One selection, CPI 16778A', was exceptionally high yielding in most trials and markedly superior to CPI 38869, the accession which was later released as cv .…”