Indication
Recommended for soils with high fertility and mild climates. Suitable for cattle in the rearing and fattening phases, as well as for dairy production. Can be consumed by horses and sheep. Its production is concentrated during the rainy season, and it can be used for direct grazing, cutting, and feeding as fresh forage or silage, with excellent nutritional quality.
Megathyrsus maximus cv. Mombaça
Panicum maximum cv. Mombaça
High fertility
Direct grazing and silage
20 to 28 tons/ha/year of dry matter (DM)
12 to 16%
1.60 to 2.00 m
Excellent
Excellent
Medium
High
Perennial
Origin
Cultivar introduced in Brazil by EMBRAPA and jointly researched with IAPAR. Collected in 1967 near Korogwe in Tanzania (Africa), by ORSTOM (French Institute of Scientific Research for Development in Cooperation), in 1969.
Morphological Characteristics
It is a tussocky plant with an average height of 1.65 to 1.85 m. The leaves are brittle, with an average width of 3 cm and without waxy coating. The blades have few hairs, which are hard and short, mainly on the upper surface. The sheaths are glabrous. The stems are slightly purple. The inflorescence is a panicle, with long primary and secondary branches only at the base. The spikelets are glabrous and evenly distributed, with a purplish color on approximately 1/3 of the outer surface. The verticil typically presents micropilosity.
Agronomic Characteristics
It is a forage species that demands soil fertility but demonstrates higher efficiency in utilizing soil phosphorus. It is a rugged, vigorous cultivar with high forage production and quality.
Use and Management
Mombasa is a Panicum grass recommended for high fertility soils that have been corrected and fertilized. It is suitable for cattle in the rearing and fattening phases, as well as for dairy production, and can also be consumed by horses and sheep. One of its characteristics is its high production of good-quality forage. Mombasa, due to its thicker stems compared to Tanzania grass, should be grazed while still green. If animals are placed in mature and lignified Mombasa pastures, they will reject these thick and lignified stems, leading to "stemming" of the plants and consequently initiating the degradation process of the pasture. Mombasa is a forage crop that should be intensely exploited during the rainy season, when growth is most intense and nutritional quality is also higher. It also has a later flowering period than other Panicum maximum varieties. In areas of direct grazing, rotating management is recommended, with a rest period of 25 to 30 days during the rainy season.
