UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry 
WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 
Washington, D. C. PROFESSIONAL PAPER December 21, 1921 
SUDAN GRASS AND RELATED PLANTS. 
By H. N. Vinat1, Agronomist, and R. E. Grtry, Assistant Agrostologist,’ 
Office of Forage-Crop Investigations. 
(Yip eet 
CONTENTS. 
Page. Page 
Introduction into the United States........ Iie te ofsecding Siaeea te ee fee te ek ea 33 
Description and botanical relationships. ... 3) seine Sao Ae son enoE aH Seem uroasanodes 34 
Distribution and importance of Sudan grass Sudan grass and legume mixtures.........-- Biz 
ATA CAME Ce ork. ee sarees ouee ehere 16._| Utilization of Sudan grass.................-- 41 
Sudan grass in other countries.-.-.....-.-.-- (delle SECON LOGUCHLO IME ey rel) em ae yao eee 52 
PSC THE) EU OBR Sek a 17.,| Diseases of Sudan grass. ......--.--------4--- 63 
Climatic adaptations.............. gasses 18 | Insect enemies of Sudan grass.............--- 63 
Relative importance of the crop......-...-.. JALAN SEI iis SABRE eet Ae bare ARM e noo. e Agee c 64 
UVa PEOUUCtLON ae scoot ote saan ents ZA (S UNM ce SS) 8 bh a Saree ees tie 64 
Waeetseedinps: teh pen ee we eee he le iteratunrecited mere mr ae tas aaa ee trae 67 
Methodrof seeding i652 es 5. eos 28 ceeds 
INTRODUCTION INTO THE UNITED STATES. 
Sudan grass was introduced into the United States from Africa 
in 1909, through the efforts of C. V. Piper, Agrostologist in Charge 
of the Office of Forage-Crop Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry, 
United States Department of Agriculture. Eight ounces of seed were 
obtained in the original importation (fig. 1), and a portion of this 
was planted that year at the forage-crop field station at Chillicothe, 
Tex.? From this small beginning has come practically all of the 
1 Many of the data here recorded were contributed by the following members of the staff of the Office of 
Forage-Crop Investigations, who personally conducted the experiments at the points indicated: R. W. 
Edwards, at Chillicothe, Tex. (resigned Feb. 25, 1918); A. B. Cron, at Amarillo, Tex.; Roland McKee, at 
Chico, Calif.; Samuel Garver, at Redfield, S. Dak.; and H. R. Reed, at Bard, Calif. Acknowledgment is 
made of their assistance and of the cooperation of the agronomists of the State Agricultural Experiment 
Stations and the superintendents of the field stations of the United States.Department of Agriculture. 
2 The field station at Chillicothe, Tex., is maintained as a cooperative project in conjunction with the 
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. From its inception, in 1905, up to 1916 the expenses were borne 
largely by the United States Department of Agriculture. In 1915, 100 acres of land 5 miles southwest of 
Chillicothe were purchased by the State of Texas and designated ‘‘Texas Substation No. 12.” The 
cooperation between the Office of Forage-Crop Investigations of the United States Department of Agricul- 
tureand the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station has been continued at the new location. Theadminis- 
tration of the station since January 1, 1916, has been in the hands of the Texas station, and the State of 
Texas has made liberal financial contributions to support the work. 
53321°—21—Bull. 981——1 
