Borseltjie / Bristle Grass Seed (Anthephora pubescens) – For forage / fodder / pasture / grazing!
Borseltjie / Bristle Grass (Anthephora pubescens)
Sowing rate: 6kg per hectare when planted in rows of +/- 200mm, or 10kg per hectare for full coverage.
Planting time: Sow Borseltjie / Bristle Grass seeds from September to March.
Planting method: Even cultivation of land is beneficial when sowing Borseltjie / Bristle Grass.
Fertilizer: For Borseltjie / Bristle Grass (based on soil analysis findings) you would require around 50kg of P /ha and 150kg – 200kg of N /ha during summer growing season. Irrigation / rainfall is essential when applying N chemical fertilizers.
Description: Tufted, perennial for hot drier regions which grows up to 1.4m tall. Used for cattle and sheep grazing. Grows best in a subtropical climate with a minimum rainfall of 300mm per annum. Prefers sandy soils. Borseltjie pasture can be allowed to grow out fully and build up material which can be kept in reserve for critical periods. Hay-making is pointless, as the grass can be conserved with success on the land. Can be mixed with Bloubuffel for the higher rainfall areas.
Advantages include that it’s easy to establish, produces an abundance of seeds that can easily be harvested, it’s drought tolerant, has excellent foggage potential, is very palatable with excellent feed value, has no danger of bloating and has a lifespan of 10+ years.
Disadvantages include that it’s got poor water logging tolerance, isn’t suitable for heavy soils and is prone to rust in higher rainfall areas.
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