World Feeder' Bermudagrass

I've received two inquiries from Extension Educators in the last week about 'World Feeder' bermudagrass.  An ad in the "Hoosier Farmer" sent to me by one of the Educators makes one think that we have been behind the times and that this grass is the "silver bullet" forage that we need in Indiana. 

I encourage you to consider: 

Bermudagrass is a warm-season grass that will be productive only in warm months. 

This variety needs to be established by sprigging.  Sprig cost is high! Check out www.worldfeeder.com. 

N input is high for good yield. 

I evaluated this grass approximately 8 years ago.  It didn't look too special at West Lafayette.  I'd rather have indiangrass or big bluestem be my warm-season grass in a pasture rotation system in Indiana. 

Finally, there are many  ranchers in the southeast USA that use bermudagrass as their base forage and wish they could more effectively use alfalfa, red clover, ladino clover, orchardgrass, low-endophyte tall fescue, etc.  Imagine that; we didn't know we had it so good!

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Keith Johnson
Professor of Agronomy and Forage Crops Specialist
1150 Lilly Hall of Life Sciences
West Lafayette, IN 47907-1150
phone: 765-494-4800
fax: 765-496-2926
e-mail:johnsonk@purdue.edu