Establishment of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) using different stem parts

One of the major problems in the production of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) is that it is difficult to establish in the field. Research was conducted at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute (MUARIK), Kampala, Uganda, to determine some of the factors that influence its establishment. The objective was to determine whether selection of specific parts of the Napier grass stem influences sprouting and hence field establishment of Napier grass. Two Napier grass varieties (improved ILCA16791 and local variety) were selected for the experiment. Stems of each were divided into three equal parts before planting. The results showed that for both varieties tested, the cuttings derived from the bottom one-third of the stems as well as the middle and top parts of the stems all sprouted, and therefore can all be used to establish Napier grass successfully. The improved variety exhibited slightly better sprouting potential than the local variety for all stem parts.