Dichanthium annulatum (Forssk.) Stapf Common names : Marvel grass, Apang , Kale Ghass (Hindi) and Chhijhavo (Gujrat) Morphology It is an erect tufted, fine stemmed, perennial grass often with stolons and 1.2 m tall. The stems spread outwards, then grow erect at the ends. Culms are purplish red or bluish in colour, distinct rings of whitish hairs at each node. Leaves are green to bluish green, 23-45 cm long, 2-7 mm wide, margins sparsely pubescent. Inflorescence is a compound raceme, mode of a cluster (2-8) of purplish false spikes each 3-7 cm long geniculate, twisted awn 8-25 mm, arising nearly from the terminal tip of the culms. Each false spike is a receme of paired spikelets, one sessile and the other perdicelled. Distribution Naturally it occurs in Burma, Africa and Australia. It grows on the plains and upto 900 m on hills in India except in northern mountains. It is one of the popular pasture grass in many areas. It can be used in fields for grazing livestock and cut for hay and silage Climate and Soil It grows well in the areas of 350 to 2000 mm rainfall of arid regions with good sunlight. It can grow with wide range of soil but well drained black clay soil is most suitable. It can tolerate a fair degree of drought as well as salinity but does not thrive on acidic soils. Package of practices All the bushes and vegetation should be removed by manually as well as mechanically and disc harrowed twice after that leveling the field is done.In the well prepared land the sowing is to be done in lines using seed @4-6 kg /ha just after pre monsoon rain with 1-1.5 cm depth. But pastures establishes very well by transplanting of five week old seedling/rooted slips in drizzly day at a spacing of 50x30 cm from line to line and plant to plant respectively. One or two inter culturing operations during first year is favourable for ensured and high yield of forage Fertilizer 10-15 t FYM/ha is essential during land preparation along with basal application of 20 kg N/ha and
20 kg P2O5.. Afterward 20kg N/ha is required. However, in subsequent year 20 Kg N + 20kg P2 O5 per hectare needs to be top dressed as a single dose at the onset of monsoon. Yield It produces high dry matter yield ranging from 2.8 to 4.5 t/ha in single cut, while 30 t/ha green fodder is recorded in 3 cuts during the year. Under irrigation and good management it has potential to produce 3 times more forage yield.