Fodder Production and Grassland Management

Phragmites - Saccharum cover (Area : 28,00,000 sq.km.)

PHRAGMITES - SACCHARUM

• This type of cover occurs on the eastern humid portion of the low land planes of the Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins (Manipur, Assam, Tripura,West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Punjab), especially on low lying ill drained land or in situations where the water table in high.
• The type is characterized by tall, coarse, species of reedy grasses typified by Phragmites karka, Saccharum spp. Imperata spp. Desmostachya spp.
• These grasses are useful for thatching purposes and the grass lands are generally subjected to annual growth of Imperata cylindrica.

Management :

• The management of these grasslands for grazing purpose would require drastic alterations in the soil conditions to eliminate the coarse, water loving unpalatable grasses.