Indication
It is a forage with good nutritional quality recommended for cattle, sheep, horses, and goats. Suitable for areas of medium to high fertility and in regions with milder climates. It can be used for direct grazing, haymaking, or silage. It has good palatability and presents thin leaves and stems.
Megathyrsus maximus cv. Aruana
Panicum maximum cv. Aruana
Medium to high fertility
Direct grazing, hay, and silage
15 to 18 t/ha/year of dry matter (DM)
9 to 15%
Very good (above 55%)
Very good
Medium
Good
Perennial
Origin
Cultivar commercially released in Brazil by IZ - Instituto de Zootecnia de Nova Odessa SP in 1989. Originated from Africa through seeds sent by Dr. Jorge Ramos Otero in 1974.
Morphological Characteristics
It is a tufted grass of medium height (70 to 90 cm tall), with thin and hairy stems. The leaves are narrow, dark green in color, and it has a large number of tillers. It has good distribution of forage produced throughout the year (up to 40% in winter).
Agronomic Characteristics
It is a forage species demanding in soil fertility, but it exhibits higher efficiency in utilizing soil phosphorus. It is a rugged, vigorous cultivar with high forage production and quality.
Use and Management
Aruana is a forage with good nutritional quality (up to 12% CP) and digestibility of up to 64%, suitable for all categories of cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. It can be consumed in the form of hay, silage, or direct grazing in a rotational system. In rotational grazing, a rest interval of 25-28 days is recommended. It should be avoided to let the plant exceed a height of 1.50m. It is recommended for soils of medium to high fertility and in milder climates of the southern/southeastern region of the country.
