About Lesson
Stylosanthes
Introduction
- Scientific name : Stylosanthes guianensis
- Erect to semi-erect summer-growing subtropical perennial herb with trifoliate leaves and branching stems.
- Flowers yellow to orange are borne in clusters on a capitate spike.
- Seeds are mostly pale brown in single-seeded pods.
Climate
- Prefers high summer temperatures(23-27 0C) and couldn’t resist frost.
- Grown at an altitude of 1500 masl in Nepal.
- Has good drought tolerance and can tolerate temporary water logging, but couldn’t grow in swampy land.
Soil and moisture requirement
- Prefers well-drained, open-textured soils from sands to light clays.
- Prefers pH of 4-8.3
- Moderately tolerant of high Al and Mn but not of high salinity.
- Needs a lower level of Mo than any other tropical legume.
- Rainfall of 1000-2500 mm/year is good and best adapted to regions with > 1500mm average annual rainfall.
land preparation and fertilizer
- The land is plowed in early spring to a fine texture for drill sowing.
- Can be sown without any land preparation or with single ploughing.
- 12-150 Kg super phosphate per hectare dressing is needed.
- 100:10-20 Kg NP is essential.
Propagation and seed sowing
- Propagated from both stem cuttings and seed sowing.
- Propagated from seeds by broadcasting.
Sowing time and seed rate
- Sown after the rain begins in the month of June-July @ 3-5 kg seed per hectare.
- Seeds are sown at a depth greater than 1.5 cm and covered with soil.
- Seeds need scarification mechanically.
Nutritive value and palatability
- 12-20 % CP, 52-60% IVDMD, 0.2-0.6% P and 0.6-1.6% Ca.
- Not readily eaten by cattle early in the growing season but becomes relatively palatable than associated grasses later into the dry or cool season.
