Ruzi grass
(Brachiaria ruziziensis)
- leafy creeping grass
- for wet tropics
- demands high fertility
Ruzi grass is a leafy, creeping perennial with good feeding value; cv. Kennedy has good performance on the wet tropical coast of Queensland, and sets high yields of seed which hold better in the head than signal grass.
Ruzi grass grows best under warm, moist conditions, but has a shorter growing season than signal grass. It does well only on well drained sites under good fertility conditions, and may decline under grazing after 3-4 years.
There has been little demand for ruzi grass in Queensland since cheap signal grass seed became available. Humidicola is better adapted to poor soils and waterlogging.
Ruzi grass is the main Brachiaria grown in Thailand. It is much less persistent than signal grass, but seed production is easier.
