Napier grass is one of the important perennial tropical forage crop belong to family Poaceae. It is also called Uganda grass or elephant grass. It is native to Africa but is now grown in many tropical countries. It is C4 plant and can grow well in marginal land. The grass grows tall and forms large clumps like bamboo.

Uses

Mainly used as fodder crop. Generally it is fed directly to cattle or made into silage or hay. It produces huge biomass and can be harvested multiple times in a year which making it a good raw materials for biofuel production. Napier grass is planted in marginal lands and slopes to increase soil fertility and to reduce soil erosion. It is also the main source for paper production in many regions. Napier grass is also used in integrated pest management strategy as pull crop mainly in maize and sorghum producing areas. Napier grass is grown along maize or sorghum (in rows or in borders) to reduce the stem borer population. It is also commonly grown in borders of many crops as windbreak and firebreak.