Yield and proximate analysis data for signalgrass at three research stations (two on Hawaii and one on Oahu) are presented

Fukumoto, Glen K.

Lee, Chin N.

Signalgrass (Brachiaria decumbensStapf) is a native of tropical Africa (Uganda) and has been introduced and dis-tributed to other tropical areas including th

Glen K. Fukumoto

Chin N. Lee

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Signalgrass for Forage

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Published by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Andrew G. Hashimoto, Director/Dean, Cooperative Extension Service/CTAHR, Universityof Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822. An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Institution providing programs and services to the people of Hawaii withoutregard to race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation, or veteran status.CTAHR publications can be found on the Web site <http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu> or ordered by calling 808-956-7046 or sending e-mail to ctahrpub@hawaii.edu.Livestock ManagementJune 2002 (revised Apr. 2003)LM-3 (rev.)Signalgrass (Brachiaria decumbensStapf) is a native of tropical Africa(Uganda) and has been introduced and dis-tributed to other tropical areas including theWest Indies, Venezuela, Surinam, and Aus-tralia.Signalgrass is a trailing perennial withupright, sword-shaped leaves. Its hairyleaves are a key distinguishing feature. Newshoots and roots develop from each nodeof its stoloniferous base. The floweringstem terminates in three or four spike-likeseed stalks.This grass is adapted to humid tropicalareas with a minimum rainfall of 60 inchesper year and a dry season of not more than4–5 months.EstablishmentWhen seeded at the recommended rate of10 pounds per acre, under favorable condi-tions of adequate moisture and soil fertil-ity levels, signalgrass will aggressivelyspread and form a dense cover. In a good seed lot, 60%germination can be expected by 14 days after sowing.This grass is highly palatable but may form hard stemswith extended pasture rest periods. Legume associationswith signalgrass pastures are not recommended due toits rapid growth and habit of forming a mat. Its densegrowth would limit the establishment and persistenceof legumes.Signalgrass for ForageGlen K. Fukumoto and Chin N. LeeDepartment of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal SciencesManagementDue to its aggressive growth habits, signal-grass stands up well to heavy stocking andtrampling.Field work in HawaiiField plots (10 x 100 ft) were establishedat three CTAHR research stations (Mealani,Waiakea, and Waimanalo). The plots wereharvested at regrowth intervals of 4, 8, and12 weeks at each of the three stations. Onlya minimum maintenance level of fertilizerwas applied, consisting of 2.25 lb of ureaand 2.1 lb of muriate of potash per plot ev-ery 3 months (equivalent to 390 lb of ureaand 365 lb of muriate of potash per acreper year). Testing the soil before any fertil-izer application is strongly recommended.Yield data for the three sites are shown inTable 1. The harvested forages were sentto CTAHR’s Agriculture Diagnostic Ser-vice Center for tissue analysis, and resultsare given in Table 2.Resistance to the yellow sugarcane aphidMore than 250 grasses were screened and scored on a10-point scale, 0 (no damage) to 9 (plant death), to evalu-ate tolerance to the yellow sugarcane aphid, Sipha flavaForbes. A resistance score was established for each grasstested, and signalgrass scored 3.00 ± 0.2 (mean ± stan-dard error).LM-3 (rev.) Signalgrass for Forage CTAHR — Apr. 2003201 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0y h y y r r01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N DAverage temperatures (°F) at Waimanalo Research Station,1991–1994.Average maximum and minimum temperatures (°F) atWaiakea Research Station, 1988–1994.CautionSignalgrass has been reported to be toxic to sheep.AcknowledgmentsThe authors would like to express their thanks to theCounty of Hawaii Department of Research and Devel-opment for providing the funds to develop this publica-tion. The former Governor’s Agriculture CoordinatingCommittee funded research on the yellow sugarcaneaphid forage resistance screening. Special thanks to Dr.Stanley Ishizaki, retired forage analyst in the formerCTAHR Department of Animal Sciences, for initiallyestablishing the forage plots. The drawing on p. 1 is byPenny Levin.ReferencesAbdullah, A.S., M.A. Rajion, K. Ragavan, A. Osman.1992. Prevention of Brachiaria decumbens (signalgrass) toxicity to sheep. Proc., 15th Ann. Conf., Ma-laysian Society for Animal Production.Heath, M.E., R.F. Barnes, and D.S. Metcalfe. 1985. For-ages: the science of grassland agriculture, 4th ed.,Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA.3LM-3 (rev.) Signalgrass for Forage CTAHR — Apr. 2003051 01 52 02 53 001 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N DWaiakeaMealaniWaimanaloAverage monthly rainfall at three CTAHR research stations,1991–1994.Average maximum and minimum temperatures (°F) atMealani Research Station, 1988–1994.Table 2. Nutrient composition (%) of signalgrass at different stages of growth.Mean + standard errorStage Dry matter Crude protein NDF ADF P K Ca4 wks 21.0 ± 0.7 15.9 ± 0.6 52.7 ± 1.4 26.2 ± 0.05 0.28 ± 0.01 4.55 ± 0.18 0.43 ± 0.038 wks 31.7 ± 1.7 11.1 ± 0.8 61.4 ± 0.9 31.5 ± 0.4 0.17 ± 0.06 1.78 ± 0.63 0.36 ± 0.1112 wks 38.1 ± 2.3 9.3 ± 1.2 63.8 ± 0.6 33.4 ± 0.5 0.22 ± 0.01 2.12 ± 0.07 0.50 ± 0.01Maximum-minimum valuesStage Dry matter Crude protein NDF ADF P K Ca4 wks 19.7–22.2 14.1–19.0 47.5–59.4 23.5–29.0 0.25–0.30 4.21–4.84 0.38–0.488 wks 28.4–34.3 7.3–12.4 56.8–66.4 29.1–33.0 0.06–0.25 0.54–2.59 0.13–0.4812 wks 35.8–40.3 6.63–13.4 60.9–66.9 31.3–36.4 0.21–0.23 2.05–2.19 0.49–0.50NDF = neutral detergent fiber; ADF = acid detergent fiber; P = phosphorus; K = potassium; Ca = calciumTable 1. Yield of signalgrass (lb/acre) in three locations at three regrowth periods (mean + standard error).Location N 4 weeks N 8 weeks N 12 weeksMealani 39 669.3 a ± 122.8 39 2062.4 a ± 313.8 39 3181.7 a ± 449.0Waiakea 36 568.2 a ± 57.1 39 4061.3 b ± 280.9 39 5077.7 b ± 371.8Waimanalo 39 1363.0 b ± 211.4 39 3130.4 c ± 312.2 39 4432.1 b ± 362.9N = number of harvest samples.Means within columns with different superscripts are significantly different (P< 0.05).Mohd. Jajib, M.A. 1995. Quality of Brachiaria humidi-cola silage at different cutting intervals and its ac-ceptability by sheep. Proc., 17th Ann. Conf., Malay-sian Society for Animal Production.O’Reilly, M.V. (ed). 1975. Better pastures for the trop-ics. Arthur Yates and Co. Pty., Ltd., Revesby, NSW,Australia.

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Signalgrass for Forage

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