Stylosanthes guianensis cv. Ubon

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Scientific name: Stylosanthes guianensis cv. Ubon

Breeding: Ubon stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis cv. Ubon) is a blend of four lines (GC 1463, GC 1480, GC 1517, and GC 1579) selected by Dr Bela Grof at the Embrapa Beef Cattle Research Centre, Campo Grande, Brazil in the 1990s. Seeds of these four lines were physically mixed together in order to create greater genetic diversity for durable resistance to anthracnose. Three of the components (GC 1463, GC 1517 and GC 1579) are single-plant selections made in the Philippines by Dr Grof from the hybrid population CIAT 11833 which was selected in the Colombian Llanos by Dr John Miles at CIAT. The fourth component (GC 1480) is from accession CIAT 2340, which originates from the Casanare region of Colombia. Selection for anthracnose resistance was carried out in the Philippines and in regional trials conducted in Brazil.

Productivity: Ubon stylo is a perennial stylo, that can grow into a small shrub. It produces between 13 and 18 t/ha dry matter/year in Thailand. In the wet season it averages about 10 t/ha and in the dry season about 5 t/ha.

Crude protein levels: 14-20% crude protein in Thailand on poor soils.

Animal production: Liveweight gains of 300-600 g/hd/day have been recorded. Dairy cows grazing Jarra digit grass and Ubon stylo produced 16 litres milk/cow/day inThailand without any concentrate supplementation..

Grazing management: Can be either rotationally grazed or set stocked. Management depends on the farmer’s experience. It prefers grazing when it is mixed with other pastures, such as Mulato II, a lot of pure Stylosanthes is a protein bank, but it must be managed under cutting and not under grazing, according to our experience. Under cutting produces much more than under grazing.

Establishment: Broadcast sown at 6-10kg/ha for pure Ubon stylo pastures. It can be mixed with Mulato II at a sowing rate of 2 kg/ha Ubon stylo and 8 kg/ha Mulato II. Sow the seed on to the soil surface, brush the seed with soil by using tree branches or large brooms. Bury the seed no more than 1-2 cm under the soil. It is easy to plant from rooted tillers. It needs well drained soils to grow well.

When planting only Ubon Stylo, the handling is different than when planting mixed with grasses. You cannot feed an animal with pure Ubon Stylo, since it needs an energy source, that is grass (grass) or another source that contains enough carbohydrate or fat.

A management of pure plantings of Ubon Stylo is recommended as a protein bank to harvest and feed the animals in combination with an energy source.

Seed: Ubon stylo seed is acid scarified to break hardseededness and produce seed germinations of 99-100% in 3 days. This high and rapid germination ensures quick pasture establishment.

VIDEO: Harvest of Stylosanthes with a forage harvester.