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- Kawanda 4 (KW4)
Kawanda 4 (KW4), commonly referred to as “Uganda hairless elephant grass”, is a hybrid
between Napier grass local variety (found along the roadsides) and Bulrush millet (Pennisetum glaucum). The variety (KW4) was developed at Kawanda Research Station currently known as National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL-Kawanda). KW4 has dry matter yield of about 20 tons/ha/year and protein content of about 10%. The local variety commonly found along the roadside has a dry matter yield of less than 10 tonnes/ha/year with a crude protein of less than 8%. - Pennisetum 99
Pennisetum 99 is a hybrid between KW4 and Bulrush millet. It has a dry matter yield of over 30 tons/ha and crude protein content of less than 12%. - Napier Grass Accessions from Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization
(KALRO), Kakamega
In 2010 the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI) under The East African Agricultural Productivity Programme funded by the World Bank and ASARECA obtained
22 Napier grass accessions from Alupe Research Institute (Kenya Agricultural and Livestock
Research Organization), Kakamega. The accessions were screened for tolerance to Napier grass stunt disease, dry matter yield and nutritive quality. Accessions Sugar Napier (75 Napier
Sugar), Kakamega 1, Kakamega 2, 112 and 16072 were recommended for multiplication in
Napier grass stunt disease (NSD) “hot spot” areas of Uganda as a way of improving feed
availability. Unfortunately, a farmer in Mityana district reported that his Sugar Napier grass
field has been affected by Napier grass stunt disease - Pakchong 1 Super Napier Grass Variety
In 2017, The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) allowed The Green Elephant Ltd to import Pakchong 1 Super Napier grass cuttings from Thailand. The Green Elephant (TGE) is a joint Dutch/New Zealand/Uganda initiative to develop high quality
briquettes/pellets and feed blocks using high biomass forages such as Napier grass. Compiled by Dr Jolly Kabirizi
