Napier COBN5 shredded forage - Rivashaa Agrotech Biopharma Private Limited

Napier Grass COBN5

Who would think that something that is commonly called “elephant grass” is responsible for a potential revolution in sustainable green technology?

Napier grass, often also called elephant grass or Uganda grass, is a tropical wild grass that thrives in warm climates, – primarily in the areas of Northern Africa – and grows in great bulk in these regions. Known for being one of the most useful fodder crops for livestock because of its ability to grow with very little cultivation, water or moisture, its multiple biomass uses and role in the future of sustainable agricultural and ecological applications are nearly limitless. Many countries throughout the world are now doing extensive research in utilizing napier grass for everything from decorative textiles to biofuel. Here is a deeper look at the marvels of this useful plant, some of napier grass’ current functions and its impressive potential for the future.

Napier Grass: Useful from Top to Bottom

Napier grass itself is a very sturdy plant, is exceptionally plentiful and is a great representative of the new sustainability movement because nearly all aspects of the crop can be utilized for some purpose. The leaves are grazed upon as forage for elephants in North Africa (hence it’s primary nickname) and they are also cut, carried and converted into silage or a type of hay for livestock, particularly dairy cows and goats. The shoots of the main plant are similar in structure, thickness and appearance to that of sugar cane, and have multi-purposes, including uses in soups and stews for human consumption. The culms are often used in more primitive structures and fences, and the entire plant itself has been used as thatch material for centuries. The roots are used to cultivate new crops in new locations. For example, for the first time in India, new crops of napier grass are being cultivated from roots of original free-growth napier grass fields and from the roots of hybrid napier grass versions that are being harvested.

Sustaining Livestock

For many years, napier grass crops’ primary use has been as a sustainable source of food for livestock. Its plentiful rate of productivity makes it an especially ideal form of feed for ruminant animals. In fact, it’s ability to grow with very little care, water, or fertilizer makes its affordability and sustainability factors ideal for large scale dairy farms, in particular, those in both tropical and arid climates where the dry season makes finding an adequate, nutrient rich source of feed for milk producing animals exceptionally difficult. Using a “cut and carry method” (in which the grass is cut at its harvesting location and then brought to the livestock), it has become an invaluable resource for farmers struggling to find a reliable, renewable source of feed for their animals.

Sustaining Crops

Another agricultural application for napier grass is its valuable contribution to the growth and maintenance of traditional food crops. Napier grass is frequently used in the “push-pull” method, a mainstay practice in sustainable farming. Using a technique where several different types of crops are planted with each other in the same field (called “inter-cropping”), elephant grass is planted around the perimeter of the field in an effort to protect the valuable interior crops from pests. The elephant grass attracts or “pulls” pests to it through alluring chemicals it emits that is attractive to many forms of crop-killing pests. Once these pests land on the elephant grass, the grass actually secretes a sticky substance that literally “traps” the pests, preventing them from feeding off of the crops in the inner ring of the land.

Sustaining Ecological Advancements

One of the most exciting developments in the uses of napier grass is its potential use for non- fossil biofuel. The United States, Canada and many European countries have committed to aggressively reducing their reliance on fossil fuels over the next 20 years, which has resulted in numerous research studies to find potential alternative sources. Elephant grass has emerged even ahead of corn as the leading biomass candidate for providing that source. Napier grass is ideal for this possible application for a number of reasons, according to a recent EcoWatch article published online, thanks to several properties, which include:

As a perennial (one that regrows itself every year) plant, it requires very little maintenance and will only need to be harvested once a year.
Elephant grass dries out very quickly, making it ideal for the process of converting it to fuel source.
Switching from ethanol (a fuel source provided by corn crops) to napier grass could also potentially lower greenhouse gas emissions, as grasses are known to emit less carbon into the atmosphere than corn.

In addition to its potential to serve as an ecologically safe fuel source for cars, napier grass is already being used as a coal alternative to supply power stations throughout Europe, according to an article on Climate News Network, and they anticipate that elephant grass will eventually completely replace coal as a form of power all throughout the United Kingdom.

Sustaining Farmers

The growing demand for napier grass, coupled with its relatively “low-maintenance” growing requirements, has led to a new cash crop for farmers in struggling economies and even 3rd world areas, such as Africa and India. Because their climates present ideal growing conditions for napier grass and can be grown in just about any type of soil, many farmers in these areas are taking advantage. Due to napier grass’ existing role in sustainable agriculture, many local farmers were already utilizing the grass to aid in the “push-pull” method, and therefore already have a plentiful supply to sell to the new emerging markets, allowing for a new source of revenue and quality of life for farmers and their families.

Hybrid Napier Grass

One of the few challenges that napier grass crops present is its lack of seed production. The agriculture world has responded by developing several different hybrid forms of the grass, including Napier Grass COBN5, which has thus far proven to be the most successful and useful variety of the plant. This strain has proven to not only grow rapidly (up to three meters tall in one season), it also demonstrates the added benefit of growing in even the poorest of soils, such as parts of the UK, Northern Europe and more arid climates, like the ones found in Northern India. This allows for napier grass COBN5 to be grown and harvested at the source, which cuts down on the transportation needs that would essentially defeat the purpose of this ecological marvel.

It’s clear that napier grass, a plant once thought to be nothing more than wild-growing ground cover, is set to be the crop of the future. In our continued global efforts to mitigate climate change, it’s essential that we utilize napier grass and other green technologies to protect our resources for years to come.

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Rivashaa Agrotech Biopharma Private Limited offers to dairy farmers and growers a revolutionary product hybrid Napier cobn5 shredded forage which is the preferred choice of cattle feed including cows, buffaloes, sheep, camels and many more. Not only the freshly cut shredded forage offers the best range of nutrients needed for your livestock daily diet and growth but also enhances the milk production Hybrid Napier cobn5 shredded forage is 100% natural with no preservative, no additive, and just high natural nutrients. We are open to offer in countries like Brazil, India, China, United States, Ethiopia, Argentina, Sudan, Pakistan, Mexico, Australia, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Colombia, Nigeria, Russian Federation, France, Kenya, Indonesia, Venezuela, Myanmar, South Africa, Turkey, Paraguay, Uganda, Germany, Canada, Uruguay, Niger, New Zealand, Uzbekistan, Madagascar, Mali, United Kingdom, Burkina Faso, Bolivia, Iran, Chad, Nepal, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Kazakhstan, Cameroon, Spain, Peru, Afghanistan, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe, Thailand, Ecuador, Guinea,Egypt, Somalia, Angola, Ukraine, Belarus, CAR, Cuba, Japan, Zambia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Senegal, Guatemala, South Korea, Chile, Morocco, Dominican Republic, Mongolia, Cambodia, Iraq, Honduras, Botswana, Philippines, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Namibia, Turkmenistan, Benin, Eritrea, Tajikistan, Romania, Austria, Algeria, Mauritania, Panama, Yemen, Lao People’s DR, Mozambique, Denmark, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal, Haiti, Kyrgyzstan, Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Malawi, Sri Lanka, Rwanda, Georgia, SAR, Serbia, Finland, El Salvador, Norway, Burundi, Hungary, Malaysia, Congo, Lithuania, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Armenia, Tunisia, Swaziland, Sierra Leone, Korea, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Albania, Israel, Slovenia, Bosnia, Croatia, Gambia, Togo, Latvia, Puerto Rico, Oman, Bhutan, Congo, Fiji, Djibouti, Estonia, Macedonia, Libya, Luxembourg, Republic of Moldova, Vanuatu, Jamaica, Timor-Leste, Taiwan, Belize, Guyana, UAE, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Montenegro, Lebanon, Guadeloupe, Jordan, Iceland, Cyprus, Comoros, Suriname, Liberia, Gabon, Kuwait, Trinidad, Palestinian Territory, Reunion, Samoa, Cabo Verde, French Guiana, Martinique, Malta, Solomon Islands, Dominica, Micronesia, Tonga, Barbados, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Bahrain, Montserrat, Virgin Islands, French Polynesia, Mauritius, Saint Kitts, Liechtenstein, Equatorial Guinea, Antigua, Saint Vincent, Grenada, Falkland Islands, BVI, Faroe Islands, Cayman Islands,Hong Kong, Sao Tome, Brunei, Bahamas, Saint Helena, Netherlands, Bermuda, Seychelles, Singapore, Guam, Cook Islands, Niue, American Samoa, Wallis, Saint Pierre, Greenland
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