Bugang grass, scientifically known as Saccharum spontaneum is a perennial plant growing up to three meters in height.
It is often considered a weed and has the potential to invade land, which often results in its abandonment.
This hardy species, known for its tall stalks and feathery plumes, thrives in tropical and subtropical climates.
Scientific Classification
- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Spermatophyta
- Subphylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Monocotyledonae
- Order: Cyperales
- Family: Poaceae
- Genus: Saccharum
- Species: Saccharum spontaneum
- Common Names: serio grass, wild cane, thatch grass, tiger grass, fodder kane, African fodder cane, kans grass, Asian fodder cane, wild sugarcane
Nativity and Distribution
Saccharum spontaneum is native to Asia, North Australia, and Africa. It is also found in the tropical and subtropical regions of Europe and the Middle East.
Physical Appearance
- Leaves: Leaf blades are long and grass-like and have a whitish midrib.
- Fruits: Brown fruit that is a caryopsis.
- Stems: Erect stems that are purple in color.
- Flowers: Spikelets of florets with long, silky white hairs.
- Roots: Fibrous root system.
Bugang grass leaves are bluish-green but can turn brownish-red when they mature. They also have a whitish midrib and serrated leaf edges.
The plant’s leaves are elongated, usually ranging from 60 to 120 cm in length. These leaves contribute to the grass’s overall height, which can reach up to three meters.
The plant’s above-ground stems are slender and produce long, silky white panicles which are 50-60cm long.
The spikelets are 3-4mm long and surrounded by hairs that are 3-6 times their length.
Life Cycle/Reproduction/Dispersal
- Lifecycle: Perennial.
- Seeds: Small seeds accompanied by stiff hairs.
- Climate: Prefers tropical and subtropical climates.
- Dispersal: Wind dispersal.
Saccharum spontaneum produces seeds that are primarily spread by wind. When environmental conditions are suitable, the dispersed seeds germinate and develop into new individual plants.
The plant can also reproduce asexually through the growth of new shoots from vegetative buds located on existing plants.
Additionally, the grass can spread via underground stems called rhizomes, which grow horizontally beneath the soil surface.
These rhizomes produce roots at their nodes, enabling the plant to establish new growth separate from the parent plant.
Uses
You can use bugang grass in the following ways:
1. Medical uses
In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, the roots of bugang grass are used for their sweet, astringent, and diuretic properties.
Additionally, the roots are used to treat respiratory ailments, dyspepsia, sexual weakness, mental illness, constipation, and haemorrhoids and to enhance the quality of breast milk in nursing mothers.
The plant is also used to treat conditions like menorrhagia, gastrointestinal disorders, and kidney stones.
2. Sugar production
Saccharum spontaneum is crossed with Saccharum officinarum to develop modern sugarcane commercial hybrids.
This process enhances traits such as vigor, resilience, sugar accumulation, and resistance to many major diseases.
The juice from this plant is processed to create sugar and ethanol and serves as a feedstock for diesel production in the synthetic biology industry.
Other uses of bugang grass include:
- The plant possesses an extensive root system, making it an effective soil stabilizer.
- In the Northern District of New Guinea, the masticated leaves of S. spontaneum are used to treat scabies.
- It is also one of the most commonly utilized forage grasses in lowland Panama.
- The strong and flexible fibers obtained from kans grass are used to produce mats, bundles, harnesses, and braided ropes.
- Used for teeth whitening.
Impact on Environment
When Saccharum spontaneum establishes itself on cultivated land, it can become a severe weed, sometimes forcing farmers to abandon their fields.
There are indications that the plant exhibits allelopathic effects, negatively impacting nearby crops.
This plant is recognized as a significant weed affecting crops such as cotton, pearl millet, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, forage crops, and horticultural gardens, including plantation crops like tea and coffee.
Additionally, Saccharum spontaneum can serve as an alternative host for several pests and diseases, including the sugarcane top borer, the white mite of sugarcane, and the Asian corn borer.
In India, this plant is known to contain hydrocyanic acid in its green state, making it unsuitable for livestock consumption.
Control
You can control bugang grass in the following methods:
1. Mechanical Control
Deep plowing is necessary to fully expose the entire plant, including the underground stems and rhizomes, so they can dry out in the sun. This helps kill most of the above-ground vegetation.
Mulching is successful in controlling kans grass. After removing above-ground plant parts, the ground can be covered with black or white sheeting for three to four months to prevent plant regeneration.
2. Chemical Control
Herbicides successful in the control of S. spontaneum include:
- Glyphosate at 4.48 kg ai ha-1 achieved a 90% control rate
- Fluazifop-butyl, when used twice at three-month intervals at a dosage of 168g
- Fenoxaprop-ethyl applied at 84 g ai ha-1
- Oxyfluorfen+paraquat
- Haloxyfopmethy+fluazifop-butyl
- Dalapon
- Amitrole and atrazine
Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.