Botanical Name : Sehima Nervosum Forssk.
Family : Poaceae (Alt. Graminae)
Subfamily : Poeae

Introduction

· Saen Grass Is Predominant In Whole Of Peninsular India In Rainfall Zones From 300 To 2000 Mm. The Optimum Growth Occurs In Rainfall Zone Of 500–900 Mm. The Suitable Soil Type Is Brown, Dark Gray Gravelly With Good Drainage.

Botanical Description

· It Is An Herbaceous Annual, Or Perennial, Caespitose, Culms And 30–100 Cm High. The Culm Nodes Are Hairy, Or Glabrous, And Culm Internode Are Solid. The Leaves Are Basally Aggregated, Non-Auriculate And Leaf Blades Are Narrowed End Linear. The Ligule Is A Fringed Membrane, Or A Fringe Of Hairs. The Plants Are Bisexual, It Has Spikelets Of Sexually Distinct Forms On The Same Plant.

· Inflorescence Is A Single Raceme. Spikelet-Bearing Axes Spike Like (Laterally Compressed, Curved); Solitary; With Substantial Rachides; Disarticulating At The Joints. Spikelets Paired; Secund; Sessile And Pedicellate; Consistently In ‘Long-And-Short’ Combinations; In Pedicellate/ Sessile Combinations. The ‘Shorter’ Spikelets Hermaphrodite. The ‘Longer’ Spikelets Maleonly, Or Sterile.

· Female-Sterile Spikelets. Pedicelled Spikelets Male Or Neuter, Strongly Dorsally Compressed, Flat, The Lemmas Awnless.

· Female-Fertile Spikelets. Spikelets Slightly Compressed Dorsiventrally, Or Laterally; Rachilla Terminated By A Female-Fertile Floret. Hairy Callus Present. Glumes Two; More Or Less Equal; Long Relative To The Adjacent Lemmas; Without; Awned Lower Glume Two-Keeled (Scarcely Winged).

· Female-Fertile Florets 1. Lemmas Less Firm Than The Glumes (Hyaline); Incised; 2 Lobed; Awned. Awns 1; Median; Geniculate; Hairless To Hairy; Much Longer Than The Body Of The Lemma. Lemmas Hairy (Above), Or Hairless; Palea Present; Relatively Long; Hyaline; 2-Nerved. Lodicules Present; 2; Free; Fleshy; Glabrous. Stamens 3. Anthers Not Penicillate. Ovary Glabrous. Styles Free To Their Bases. Stigmas 2.

Cultivation Practices

· The Grass Can Be Raised By Both Direct Sowing Or By Transplanting. For Direct Sowing, Seed Pellets Should Be Prepared. It Is Better To Transplant The Grass. It Is Preferable To Raise Seedlings In Perforated Polythene Bags In June. The Light Soil Should Be Well Mixed With FYM Before Filling In The Polythene Bags. Irrigation Should Be Provided As Per Need. About 30,000 Seedling Bags Are Required For One Hactare.

· The Area Should Be Cleared Of Bushes And Other Vegetation. With The Advent Of Monsoon, The Land Should Be Prepared By Ploughing. At First A Basal Application Of 10 Cartload Of FYM Is Required. This Is Followed By Basal Application Of 20 Kg N/Ha And 20 Kg P2O5/Ha. After One Month Of Establishment, A Top Dressing With 20 Kg N/Ha Is Given. In Subsequent Years 20 Kg N/Ha And 20 Kg P2O5/ Ha Are Broadcast In Grassland With First Shower Of Rain. The Top Dressing Of N After One Month Growth May Be Done Only Between The Grass Rows.

· Six Week Old Seedlings From Nursery Bed Are Transplanted Generally In July After First Heavy Shower Of Rains. Spacing Should Be Maintained At Between Rows – 50 Cm, Between Plants 30 Cm. This Would Mean That 33000 Seedlings Of Grass Will Be Required /Ha With 2 Seedlings Planted At Each Spot.

· In The Year Of Establishment, Only One Cutting Is Done In Mid-October. In The Subsequent Years, Two Cuttings Can Be Taken First After 60 Days Growth And Next At 30 To 45 Days Interval Depending Upon The Pattern Of Rainfall Distribution. One More Cutting Is Possible During Growing Season In March Or April. The Cutting Height May Be Taken At 10 Cm From Ground Level. For Effective Seed Collection, Last Cut Should Be Sacrificed. Seeds Generally Mature In November In Peninsular India And 15–20 Days Later In Southern India Depending On Rainfall Distribution.