Abstract

Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst) is a vigourous spreading perennial pasture grass with very good soil binding characteristics, coming up well in areas of higher elevations above 5000 feet, such as on Nilgiris, Pulneys etc. Though its value as a pasture or fodder grass is undisputed, its presence in a cultivated field (as on the faces of terraces in the hills) is undesirable since it becomes a troublesome weed to eradicate, if not kept in constant check. Leaving the lands fallow for even a season or two results in the complete cover of the cultivable terraces of this grass, by means if its rapid growing underground shoot system, which goes even to depth upto 2. This makes it necessary that, for its eradication, the land should be dug upto not less than 2' depth, involving much labour and cost. It was estimated that it cost nearly Rs. 300/- per acre of level ground or Rs. 160/- per acre of cultivated terraces for the manual digging and removal of this grass. For the continued protection of the soil from the faces of the terraces in the hills, it is therefore, necessary to evolve suitable quick and economical methods of eradicating the Kikuyu grass and its replacement with other improved grasses. Chemical weedicides offer good scope in such a programme. The principles and methods of chemical weed control are dealt with in detail by Crafts and Robbins (1962). The results of a study in this direction, carried out in the hills at Ootacamund for the last two years is presented in this paper.

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