SUDAN GRASS AND RELATED PLANTS. 65 



Sudan grass is technically known as Andropogon sorghum sudanensis 

 and belongs to the agronomic group known as grass sorghums. 



Several other grass sorghums have been obtained from Africa and 

 one from South America, but none of these has proved as valuable as 

 Sudan grass. 



After its introduction into the United States Sudan grass was tested 

 and is now being grown successfully in Australia, South America, the 

 Philippines, Hawaii, Porto Rico, and Cuba. 



Sudan grass is most successful in the southern half of the Great 

 Plains in the States of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. It does not 

 succeed well at high altitudes nor within 200 miles of the northern 

 boundary of the United States. 



Sudan grass, although it has a high water requirement, is able to 

 withstand protracted periods of drought and recover quickly when 

 rain comes. 



This grass is of most value as an emergency hay crop. It is now 

 being used to replace millet as a catch crop in many localities and is 

 also suited for use as a summer pasture. 



For hay production it is best to drill or broadcast 20 to 25 pounds 

 of seed per acre in the humid regions and 10 to 15 pounds per acre 

 in the drier portions of the United States ; for seed production 3 to 4 

 pounds of seed drilled in rows 36 to 42 inches apart is best. 



Sudan grass should not be cut for hay until it has headed. Very 

 little difference in yield or feeding value of the hay is occasioned by 

 cutting any time between the date when the grass is fully headed 

 and when the seed is in the soft-dough stage. 



Sudan grass cures slowly on account of the juicy stems, and con- 

 siderable time must be allowed for it to cure before placing it in a 

 stack or hay mow, especially when a seed crop is being stored. 



Mixed plantings of Sudan grass and legumes, such as cowpeas or 

 soy beans, are profitable only in the more humid regions where the 

 legumes and Sudan grass both grow successfully. 



The composition of the hay of Sudan grass is very similar to that 

 of Johnson grass, timothy, and millet; in digestibility it ranks some- 

 what above timothy but slightly below millet hay. 



Sudan grass grown in the humid regions has a lower percentage of 

 protein and ash than that grown in the semiarid regions. 



Feeding experiments show that Sudan grass hay is an effective 

 roughage for work stock, dairy cows, and stock cattle. 



A large number of tests have shown Sudan grass to be a valuable 

 summer pasture, but care must be observed in pasturing it with 

 cattle, on account of the danger of prussic-acid poisoning. 



Sudan grass is useful as a soiling crop, but it is not of much value 

 for silage, because other crops, such as corn and sorghum, make 

 larger yields. 



