Lampa grass: A resilient range grass for sustainable forage production and rangeland development

Abstract

Lampa grass is a C4 perennial range grass, indigenous to India and widely found in major grasslands. It can withstand abiotic stresses such as drought, high temperature, soil salinity and low soil fertility; therefore, it is considered the best candidate for rehabilitating degraded lands, carbon sequestration and phytoremediation. It has the highest nutritional value during the early vegetative phase, providing 5.5–7.0% crude protein on a dry matter basis, and provides 350–400 q/ha of green fodder if managed properly. It is best suited for rangeland improvement, particularly on poor and marginal lands where other crops are hard to grow.