It is also cultivated in some areas as a palatable graze for animals and a groundcover to reduce erosion and quickly revegetate denuded soil.
[5]: 2 The fact that this type of grass survives on little rainfall, can grow in low pH soils, and has a moderate tolerance to aluminum means that it may be beneficial to poor farmers in the sub-tropics.
The fact that Chloris gayana can grow quickly means that farmers could use it to protect the soil from eroding.
[7]: 1574 Since Chloris gayana shows good salt tolerance, this type of grass can be beneficial to farmers who have salinity problems in their soil.
[5]: 1 [5]: 3 Katambora is meant for hay production because it is leafier, finer-stemmed, and produces better dry matter.
Tetraploid types of Chloris gayana have a major characteristic in which they flower late in the season which means the feed quality is maintained longer[5]: 3 It has also been determined that tetraploid varieties of Chloris gayana have "higher concentrations of nutrients".
[8]: 1128 It is important to note however that both tetraploid and diploid varieties at the pre-flowering stage of growth have "adequate concentrations of nutrients".
Chloris gayana can be very helpful to farmers and NGOs in terms of sustainable agricultural development.
[9] In addition to this, "growing cultivated forages, in association with food crops, can contribute to the improvement of the qualitative and quantitative supply of livestock feed.
"[10]: 38 Intercropping Chloris gayana with a food crop is a practical method farmers can use when it comes to sustainable agricultural development.
[12]: 2 In addition to this, Chloris gayana is also able to deal with soil erosion on sloped fields by holding topsoil.
[12]: 2 Chloris gayana can also be mixed with legumes such as cowpea, stylo, and alfalfa which also improves soil nutrient levels.