Achnatherum Splendens Profile

Achnatherum splendens (Trin.) Nevski, grass family, is a perennial herb. It is born on the sandy soil of saline-alkali beach with groundwater depth of about 1.5 meters. It is a medium-quality forage grass. For the desert and semi-desert grassland areas in western China, it has a certain effect in solving the problem of large livestock forage in winter and spring. It is eaten by various livestock all year round, but the time and degree vary. The following introduces detailed information about Achnatherum splendens.

Achnatherum Splendens Picture

Morphological characteristics of Achnatherum splendens

The plant has thick and tough fibrous roots covered with sand. Culms upright, hard, with white pith inside, forming large dense clumps, 50-250 cm high, 3-5 mm in diameter, nodes are concentrated at the base, with 2 to 3 nodes, smooth and glabrous, persistent and withered at the base Yellow-brown leaf sheath. Leaf sheaths are glabrous, with membranous margins; ligules are triangular or pointed-lanceolate, 5-10 (15) mm long; leaf blades are longitudinally rolled, tough, 30-60 cm long, 5-6 mm wide, with convex veins The surface is slightly rough, and the underside is smooth and hairless.

The panicles are (15) 30-60 cm long, develop in a pyramid shape when blooming, the main axis is smooth, or angular and slightly rough, the branches are weak, 2-6 clusters, flat or diagonally rising, 8-17 cm long , Bare base; spikelet length 4.5-7 mm (except awns), gray-green, purplish-brown at the base, often turning grass yellow when mature; glume quality, lanceolate, apex or acute, first glume length 4 -5 mm, with 1 vein, second glume 6-7 mm long, with 3 veins; lemma is 4-5 mm long, thick paper, with 2 microtooths at the top, densely pilose on the back, with 5 veins, base plate Obtuse round, pilose, about 0.5 mm long, awns protruding from between the teeth of the lemma, erect or slightly curved, rough, not twisted, 5-12 mm long, easy to break off; the lemma is 3-4 mm long, with 2 veins without ridges, pilose between veins; anthers 2.5-3.5 mm long with vellus hairs on top. Flower and fruit period from June to September. 5-3.5mm, vellus hair at the tip. Flower and fruit period is cited from June to September.

Growth and distribution of Achnatherum splendens

Growth habit

Achnatherum splendens is a tall perennial dense clump grass with upright stems and strong roots. It grows on the sandy soil of saline-alkali beach with a groundwater depth of about 1.5 meters. In low-lying valleys, dry riverbeds, lakesides, river banks and other places, it often forms open splendens salinized meadows. It germinates in mid-to-late April, does not depend on atmospheric precipitation and begins to grow. Leaves grow in early May and bloom from June to July. Seeds mature from late August to September, with small grains and high yield.

Main distribution

It is widely distributed in northern my country, from the eastern alpine meadow grassland to the western desert area, and the eastern alpine grassland area of ​​the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, such as Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, northern Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Xinjiang, Qinghai, In western Sichuan and eastern Tibet, achnatherum splendens is distributed in central and northern Asia, such as Mongolia and Russia.

Feed value of Achnatherum splendens

Achnatherum splendens is a medium-quality forage grass that is eaten by various livestock all year round, but at different times and degrees. Camels and cattle like food, followed by horses and sheep. In spring and early summer, the tender stems and leaves are fond of cattle and sheep. In summer, the stems and leaves are thick and old. Camels like to eat, followed by horses. Cows and sheep do not. The stems and leaves after the frost are eaten by various domestic animals. However, there are still dead branches during the peak growth period, so the edibility is reduced, and it also brings difficulties to mechanical harvesting. Because of its high growth, it is a grassland where livestock can lie down and shelter from the wind in winter and spring. When short grass is covered by snow in winter and livestock lacks forage grass, Achnatherum splendens is the main forage grass.

Therefore, herders are accustomed to taking places with abundant splendens as winter camps or winter and spring camps. The large area of ​​Achnatherum splendens grassland is a good mowing grassland, and the regenerated grass after mowing can also graze livestock. It is cut at the beginning of flowering and can be used as raw material for silage. There are significant differences in the amount of grass production from place to place. According to measurements, in the low-lying land of the Tengger Desert Lake Basin, the yield of hay per hectare is 975-2025 kg, and in the Ordos region, the yield of hay per hectare is about 3000 kg. As far as feed is concerned, the quality of Achnatherum splendens is not high, mainly due to its rough stems and leaves and greater toughness, which makes it difficult for livestock to eat. The content of crude protein and carotene is rich before flowering, and gradually decreases after jointing to flowering, while the content of crude fiber increases and palatability decreases. During the jointing period, Achnatherum splendens has better crude protein quality and high content of essential amino acids, which is about the same as that of alfalfa hay. Therefore, when Achnatherum splendens is used for grazing or mowing, it should be carried out in the early stage of heading and flowering.

Industrial value of Achnatherum splendens

As a raw material for grass papermaking, Achnatherum splendens has the characteristics of good paper quality, low cost, low consumption and light pollution. It is not only a high-quality papermaking material, but also because of its drought resistance, salt-alkali resistance, and strong stress resistance, it makes full use of desert, Large-scale cultivation and planting of saline-alkali land and abandoned farmland can increase green coverage, prevent desertification, and develop animal husbandry in agricultural areas, which has good ecological benefits.

Using Achnatherum splendens as a raw material for papermaking can solve the shortage of raw materials and reduce wood pulp imports. It has a good prospect in the papermaking industry. At present, the technology of large-scale cultivation of Achnatherum splendens has reached the leading level in China. Experts suggest that the cultivation measures of Achnatherum splendens should be further improved, and the results should be promoted and applied in Xinjiang and even in the northwest.

Propagation of Achnatherum splendens

Use a sowing method and ramification propagation method. Achnatherum splendens can be sowed  both in spring and autumn. Autumn sowing is planted in late September and sowing along with the harvest; spring sowing is carried out in early May. Cover soil about 2cm after sowing. Ramification propagation: From March to April or September to October, dig up the old beads and divide them into clusters. Open nests in rows with a spacing of 20cm×15cm. Cut off the stems and leaves before planting, and cover after planting. Pull out weeds in time after emergence, and combine with weeding for thinning. Top dressing is generally not carried out.