Co4 is a perennial grass for feeding SEVAI-OFI Volunteers cow project.

CO 4 cultivated as cow fodder under SEVAI Cow project in Sirugamani

“Co4 is a perennial grass for feeding SEVAI-OFI Volunteers cow project “said Sakthivel, the cow farm technician of SEVAI/OFI-Cow farm project. He said further, “Fodder constitute major expenditure in Milk Production, but utilizing maximum of fodder grass can help control the most-cost factor in animal husbandry to achieve "milk yield increase and cost reduction". Fodder is just another term for animal feed or feedstuffs. Fodder can also be called forage, High quality fodder crops have high nutritional due to which animal health is best maintained. The use hybrid CO 4 slips to maximum and cultivate economic animal husbandry. Napier co4 is a perennial grass which can be retained on field for 2-3 years. Compared to Napier grass hybrid Napier produces numerous leaves. It has larger leaves, softer and less persistent hairs of leaf blades and sheaths and less sharp leaf edges. The stems are also less fibrous than Napier. The tillers are more numerous and grow faster o 4 establishes easily and grows with the nature at a rapid speed by Adopting well to different ecological situations, Ecological Security, They impart in the sustainability of production, Need for storage of energy is not required, Multipurpose utilization and used for Renewable fuel energy. Hybrid Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) is also called CO4 as per Tamil Nadu Agriculture University Coimbatore, Tamilnadu. Feeding one bundle (15Kg) of CO4 grass has been found to increase milk yield by almost 200 ml per cow. Seeing this superior growth characteristic, farmers are growing CO4 variety for feeding their cows.SEVAI has also planted 2 acres of CO4 grass for OFI Volunteers cow project. CO-4 grass is used as fodder increases milk yield considerably. As per the agriculture scientists, The salient Characters CO 4 are Green fodder yield (t/ha/yr) 400,Dry matter yield (t/ha/yr) 65.12,Crude protein yield (t/ha) 5.40,Mean plant height (cm) 300 - 360,No. of leaves per clump 450,No. of tillers per clump 30 – 40,Leaf-stem ratio 0.70,Leaf width (cm) 3.00 - 4.20,Leaf length (cm) 80 – 95,Dry matter (%) 17.08,Crude protein (%) 10.5,Calcium (%) 0.86 ,Phosphorus (%) 0.24,Oxalate (%) 2.51 and IVDMD (%) 60. A Few important points to be remembered are: Hybrid Napier should be recommended to places only with copious irrigation facility, Soil reclamation with lime is essential in acidic soils, while planting, the soil around the cutting has to be pressed tightly for good root growth, the grass must be cut at ground level for good tilling of the clumps, Raking the soil, earthling up and removing dried tillers after every three harvest is essential for good establishment and Economically viable for 3 years.-Govin