NAPIER GRASS, A PASTURE AND FODDER CROP FOR HAWAII 15 
The results indicate little difference in protein content between 
Napier, Merker, and Sudan grasses. The Napier and Merker grasses 
appear to have a higher protein content than does guinea grass. In 
crude-fiber content all of the grasses were similar, and in total ash all 
were similar except Sudan grass, which was considerably lower in ash 
than the others. 
Average analyses do not indicate the variation in protein content 
due to seasonal growing conditions and to the number of ratoon crops 
that have been cut. Although ratoon cuttings were made at approx- 
imately the same stage, in any one species, it was noted that the age 
of the stand in the field had a marked effect on chemical composition. 
The effect of the age of the plats and the number of ratoon crops cut 
on the protein content of Napier and Merker grasses is shown in 
table 5. 
Table 5. — Protein content of plant crop and successive ratoons of Napier and 
Merker grasses 
Xapier grass 
Merker grass 
Cutting 
Crude 
protein 
Age when 
cut 
Crude 
protein 
Age when 
cut 
Plant crop ------- 
Percent 
14.18 
9.84 
5.42 
5.39 
3.81 
« 7.50 
Days 
11 
64 
60 
59 
76 
65 
Percent 
15.19 
8.23 
7.15 
5.00 
7.12 
3.88 
4.04 
Days 
70 
First ratoon - ... - 
50 
60 
•50 
65 
63 
Sixth ratoon ... . . .... 
60 
1 Fertilizer was applied 10 days before this harvest, which may account for this higher percentage of 
protein. 
The protein content of the plant crop in both Napier and Merker 
grasses was, according to these analyses, much higher than in the sub- 
sequent ratoon crops. Although the ratoon crops were harvested at 
what seemed to be the same growth stage, produced in even less time 
than the plant crop, the protein content after the first ratoon was 
rather low. The plant crop was evidently made up of a higher percent- 
age of leafy forage with a lower percentage of stalk than appeared in 
later cuttings. These data indicate the futility of taking 1 or 2 anal- 
yses of a grass and upon those analyses attempting to determine the 
amount of protein that will be produced during a yearly period. 
Seasonal conditions, the fertility of the soil, and the number of 
ratoon crops taken, all seem to be very important factors in determin- 
ing the yearly production of protein in a forage grass. It seems likely 
that unless a high state of fertility is maintained, these coarse fodder 
grasses, particularly in their ratoon crops, will not produce the quality 
of forage to be most desired. Further experiments are needed to dem- 
onstrate just what can be expected in the way of maintaining a high 
protein content through stimulated growth by the application of fer- 
tilizers. It is probable that heavy fertilization of a crop, which pro- 
duces so abundantly as does Napier grass, would be economical in the 
growing of high-quality forage. 
Experiments in other regions, cited by Langer (6, p. 64), indicate 
that Napier grass is of very desirable chemical composition. Results 
of chemical analyses are given in table 6. 
