# PLANT MATERIALS SPECIALIST REPORT OF PLANTS IN FIELD PLANTINGS

##  

###  R. J. Joy, Plant Materials Specialist

###  July 2003

This report includes a summary of promising species in field plantings.
It serves as a guide to field office personnel when considering plants
for new field plantings.

Information gained from field plantings is incorporated into the Field
Office Technical Guide (FOTG) to make it more useful. New cultivars or
varieties that are released through our Plant Materials Program depend
on the data collected from field plantings to support and document their
release. The field planting is the final phase of testing in the plant
materials systematic testing process. It is where a new plant is tested
on a farm or other site under actual use conditions. Field office
personnel may request a field planting of any of the species described
in this report from the Plant Materials Specialist.

The excellent cooperation between plant materials and field office
personnel in the Pacific Basin Area and Hawaii has enabled us to
maintain a viable Plant Materials Program. We look forward to the
continued high interest in plant materials by our field people who are
so important to the success of the program.

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="2.939583333333333in"
height="2.084722222222222in"} *Arachis glabrata* (forage peanut): Forage
or perennial peanuts are creeping, low growing legumes native to Brazil
and make a dense cover. They are somewhat slow to establish and spread.
They may be grazed and are useful as low maintenance, permanent covers
for erosion control and beautification. They have yellow flowers and
although *Arachis glabrata* accessions don't flower as much as the
commercially available cultivars of *Arachis pintoi* such as Golden
Glory, Amarillo and Forrajero, they are not as susceptible to leaf
yellowing caused by spider mites. Propagation is by rhizomes since very
little seed is produced.

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="4.10625in" height="2.075in"}

*Brachiaria brizantha* syn*. Urochloa brizantha, Brachiaria decumbens*
(signalgrass): Signalgrass is a perennial, stoloniferous pasture grass
that is resistant to the yellow sugar cane aphid, which can be severe at
times in Hawaii. The aphid can significantly reduce yields of other
pasture grasses such as kikuyu. Signalgrass grows well on the limestone
soils of Guam and Tinian. It is propagated by seeds or stolons.
According to the PLANTS Database, the genus has been changed from
*Brachiaria* to *Urochloa.* A fact sheet on signalgrass can be found on
the Web site <http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/> under Free Publications,
Livestock Management.

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="2.551388888888889in" height="2.28125in"}

*Chloris gayana* (rhodesgrass): Rhodesgrass is a perennial, drought
tolerant, erect bunchgrass with long stolons that root at the nodes. It
is naturally adapted to areas that receive between 24 and 40 inches of
rainfall annually. It has long been a popular grass for grazing in these
areas. Because it is stoloniferous, it is useful for critical area
plantings, as a cover crop and as living mulch for vegetable and other
crop production. It is pictured here as a living mulch in zucchini.
Although it may not persist in high rainfall areas, it will grow and may
have application as living mulch in vegetable production where it would
be re-seeded periodically. It is tolerant of high salinity and pH. Seeds
are available commercially. Seeds of the cultivar Bell are produced in
Texas while Nemkat and Katambora are from Australia. Nemkat is resistant
to root-knot nematodes and Katambora is resistant to reniform nematodes.
A fact sheet on rhodesgrass can be found on the Web site
[**http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/**](http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/)
under Free Publications, Sustainable Agriculture, Cover Crops.

![](media/image4.png){width="2.8194444444444446in"
height="2.0194444444444444in"}

*Crotalaria juncea* (sunn hemp): Sunn hemp is an erect, annual legume
that grows well throughout the Pacific Basin Area and Hawaii. The
cultivar Tropic Sun is an excellent cover/green manure crop and is
resistant to root-knot and reniform nematodes. It is popular with
organic farmers for soil improvement and nematode control. On the
Mainland, sunn hemp is used in California and the South. The
restrictions on the use of methyl bromide have increased its popularity
because of its ability to control nematodes. The Plant Materials Center
(PMC) on Molokai has seed available of Tropic Sun for demonstration type
field plantings and seed increase plantings. A fact sheet on Tropic Sun
can be found on the Web site <http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/> under
Free Publications, Sustainable Agriculture, Green Manure Crops. In
addition, each field office should have copies of the USDA Program Aid
1335.

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="4.076388888888889in"
height="2.0229166666666667in"}

*Dodonaea viscosa* ('a'ali'i, lampuaye): A widely adapted indigenous
shrub that is native to Hawaii and naturalized in the Northern Marianas.
It is a good windbreak, hedge and screen plant. It grows to a height of
approximately 10 to 20 feet, depending on the amount of moisture it
receives, and has a moderate growth rate. It is propagated by seed and
its attractive seed capsules make colorful leis. We have released a
source identified selection collected on Molokai referred to as
Kamiloloa Germplasm 'A'ali'i.

![](media/image6.png){width="2.8194444444444446in" height="2.0in"}

*Eragrostis variabilis* ('emoloa, kawelu, lovegrass): 'Emoloa is a
perennial bunchgrass that is endemic to Hawaii. It is an attractive
grass that is found on all the main islands and the Northwestern
Hawaiian Islands as well. The native Hawaiians sometimes used 'emoloa as
an alternative to piligrass for thatching their houses. It occurs on
coastal dunes and grasslands, open sites in dry forests and on exposed
cliffs up to approximately 3,600 feet. It shows promise for erosion
control on critical areas, restoration and beautification. It may be
somewhat short lived. It is propagated by seed.

![](media/image7.jpeg){width="2.959722222222222in"
height="2.0395833333333333in"}

*Heteropogon contortus* (piligrass, tanglehead): Piligrass is indigenous
to Hawaii and is widely distributed in the tropics and subtropics. The
native Hawaiians used it to thatch their houses and other buildings in
dry areas. It is a drought tolerant bunch grass that is currently being
used for erosion control and restoration on the Hawaiian island of
Kaho'olawe. The piligrass pictured was collected on Kaho'olawe and has
recently been formally released as Kaho'olawe Germplasm Piligrass Source
Identified Class of Natural Germplasm. It is propagated by seed.

![](media/image8.jpeg){width="2.472916666666667in" height="2.0in"}

*Musa sp.* (dwarf Brazilian banana): The cultivar Santa Catarina Prata
is a delicious dessert banana that has enough wind tolerance to be used
as a windbreak. It was brought to Hawaii from Brazil by Dr. Leng Chia of
the University of Hawaii. We began testing it as a windbreak because of
requests from Pacific Basin Area farmers for multipurpose windbreaks.
The University of Guam is evaluating it as a firebreak. It has performed
well wherever it has been planted in the Pacific Basin Area and Hawaii.
The bananas are well accepted in the produce markets. Propagation is by
corms.

![](media/image9.png){width="2.6798611111111112in" height="2.0in"}

*Paspalum hieronymii* (paspalum): The cultivar Tropic Lalo is widely
adapted in Hawaii and the Pacific Basin Area. It is a perennial,
creeping grass that forms a dense cover when mowed. It is tolerant of
traffic and is low maintenance. It is used for waterways, terraces, farm
roads, lawns and as a cover crop in orchards. It produces very little
seed so propagation is by stolons. Tropic Lalo has become a standard
recommendation for erosion control in Hawaii and, therefore, field
plantings are warranted only for special applications. The PMC will
provide small amounts for growers to increase their own planting
material for conservation plantings if material isn't available
commercially. The Pacific Basin Area is in need of more field plantings.
A fact sheet on Tropic Lalo can be found on the Web site
<http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/> under Free Publications, Turf
Management and Sustainable Agriculture, Cover Crops.

![](media/image10.png){width="2.7395833333333335in" height="2.0in"}

*Pennisetum purpureum* (hybrid napiergrass or elephantgrass): Napier
hybrids and hybrids of napier and pearl millet are sterile. 'Mott' is a
hybrid napier cultivar that was released by the University of Florida.
It is very leafy and makes good forage for cut and carry or grazing. A
PMC developed hybrid (HA-5690) is a cross between bannagrass, a tall
napier, and a male sterile pearl millet. HA-5690 performed well on a
slope planting using the live fascine technique. A napier x pearl millet
hybrid called PMN Hybrid (pictured) was developed by the Hawaiian Sugar
Planters' Association for the USDA-ARS Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment
Station. It was developed for forage and has thinner stems than other
napiers. All of these tall grasses have promise for windbreak,
vegetative barrier and forage. They are propagated by stem cuttings and
planted in furrows, similar to sugar cane.

![](media/image11.jpeg){width="2.6798611111111112in" height="2.0in"}

*Sporobolus virginicus* (totoput, 'aki'aki, seashore rushgrass): An
indigenous, creeping, perennial grass that is propagated by rhizomes. It
is native to sandy, usually coastal, sites in tropical and subtropical
areas worldwide. It is usually found just above the high-tide mark. It
will grow up to 1,000 feet in elevation but the soil must be fairly
loose for the rhizomes to spread. It is drought tolerant and very salt
tolerant and should be useful for shoreline, stream bank and critical
area stabilization. There is a vigorous stand on the beach near Garapan,
Saipan. The most promising accession in Hawaii (HA-4846) was collected
from Papohaku Beach on the west end of Molokai.

![](media/image12.jpeg){width="3.5in" height="2.029861111111111in"}

*Vetiveria zizanioides*, syn*. Chrysopogon zizanioides* ("Sunshine"
vetivergrass): This tall bunch grass from Sunshine Louisiana is sterile.
Its main use is as a vegetative barrier (FOTG Practice Code 601) for
erosion control. It is planted as a vegetative barrier on Guam, Saipan,
Maui and Oahu. On the island of Hawaii, it is stabilizing waterway
outlets. Vetivergrass is native to India. It has a strong root system
that contains an essential oil used in making perfume. The World Bank
has promoted the use of vetiver for erosion control in developing
countries. Propagation is by plantlets or slips produced by dividing the
crown of a mature plant. According to the ARS Germplasm Resources
Information Network (GRIN), the genus Vetiveria has recently been
changed to *Chrysopogon*. More information may be obtained from the
vetiver publication located in each field office.