KUDZU, A FORAGE CROP FOR THE 

 SOUTHEAST 



By A. J. Pieters, Principal Agronomist, in Charge, Division of Forage Crops 

 and Diseases, Bureau of Plant Industry 



What Kudzu Is and What It Is Good For 



KUDZU is a perennial leguminous vine native to Japan. It has 

 large leaves, somewhat like those of a bean but larger, and 

 sometimes each leaflet is coarsely lobed. The stems are coarse and 

 long and become woody in regions where they are not killed to the 

 ground by frost. The flowers are deep purple and borne in clusters. 

 Seed is only rarely produced in the United States. The leaves and 

 young stems are very sensitive to frost, the older stems less so, and 

 the roots survive the winter in favorable situations in the North- 

 eastern States, where the plant is often used as an ornamental 

 climber. In the North the stems are killed by cold and new growth 

 comes from the root each year. In parts of the South, such as 

 southern Georgia, only the leases and young shoots are killed, and 

 consequently the main stems may attain considerable size. 



Kudzu is valuable as a forage crop. It may be grazed or cut for 

 hay, but in either case it must be handled with a certain degree of 

 care if good results are to be obtained over a long period. It can 

 be overgrazed, or it can be cut so often that the stand is reduced 

 until the field is no longer profitable. This fact has generally been 

 overlooked in the past and has been the cause of a great deal of 

 disappointment in the crop. 



Habit and Soil Preference 



The kudzu root sends out several shoots (fig. 1), their number 

 depending upon its age and vigor. These shoots trail on the ground 

 or climb any available support. The}' have been known to grow 

 70 feet in a season. Since kudzu is a hot- weather plant, its growth 

 is delayed until the ground warms up and it stops with the first 

 frost. More growth- is made, therefore, in the South than in the 

 North and more on warm soils than on cold. Stems that lie on the 

 ground root at the joints (if the soil is moist and the contact good), 

 and thus new plants are established. (Fig. 2.) When a field is 

 well set with plants in this way and growth is thick, new, erect, 

 twining stems grow out from the main runners and the mass of 

 stems and leaves may reach a depth of *2 to 4 feet. When the plants 

 are cut new shoots are put out. 



Kudzu will grow on many soil types and can thrive on soils too 

 acid for alfalfa or clover. This, is. one of its great advantages. It 



