Pro-Max™ Low-Lignin Hybrid Sudangrass

Ampac Seed Company is proud to announce the addition of Pro-Max™ to our forage product line-up! Pro-Max™ is the first BMR Low Lignin Hybrid Sudangrass to hit the market.

Characteristics:

Pro-Max™ is a unique product in the marketplace! New Pro-Max™ BMR Low Lignin Hybrid Sudangrass is the first true sudangrass with the BMR trait. Pro-Max™ provides producers the next level of improvement in high quality summer forage for direct pasture or hay and more efficient animal gain.

Notable Characteristics:

  • First true sudangrass with the BMR trait
  • Reduced lignin content (~20% vs. Piper)
  • Improved Fiber Digestibility
  • Greater Animal Preference
  • Improved Animal Performance
  • 20% greater gain/head/day
  • 20% greater grain per acre
  • More complete forage consumption-less wastage
  • Has Hi-Gest™ BMR trait

Promax leaf (left) vs. conventional (right).

Forage Quality tests: (University of Illinois on-farm tests)



What is so exciting about Pro-Max™? Pro-Max™ allows the dairy, beef, sheep, and goat producer to have a summer annual grass that can be grazed and baled for hay. Pro-Max™ will also provide a top quality, highly palatability grass with improved digestibility over other summer annual grasses. Studies done in California showed that by grazing Pro-Max™ a 20% gain in animal production was achieved versus grazing a non-BMR sudangrasses. That is very exciting! But, how does it compare to the popular BMR Sorghum-Sudangrasses?

The chart helps explain the benefits of Pro-Max™. As you can see, Pro-Max™ ranks as the best for baled hay, while placing second in the silage category. The BMR trait bred into Pro-Max™ makes it more palatable and has increased the plant forage quality. The only advantage we can see to BMR Sorghum-Sudangrass will be silage yield.

Variety Baled Hay Grazing Silage Palatability
Pro-Max™



BMR
Sorghum-Sudangrass
Non-BMR Sudangrass

Baling for hay, grazing, and forage quality/palatability all lean heavily towards Pro-Max™. Pro-Max™ should never be used for horses.

In addition to improved palatability and digestibility Pro-Max™ has exhibited improved levels of crude protein (18.53% CP on Pro-Max™ vs 16.83% CP on Piper) and improved levels of TDN (65.48% TDN on Pro-Max™ vs 64.65% TDN on Piper). Pro-Max™ also has much improved rust resistance.

Pro-Max™ leaves were stripped off while Piper plants were ignored!

The photo shows how Pro-Max™ was grazed preferentially over non-BMR sudangrasses. This is exciting; but also points out that producers must be made aware that animals could eat Pro-Max™ "into the ground" before they eat non-BMR sudangrasses and even BMR sorghum-sudangrasses as evidenced in grazing plots in Illinois.

Seeding rates should be 25-30#/acre and soil temperatures need to be at least 60oF for best germination and seedling vigor. Grazing can start at 20"-25" tall and leave 6-8" of stubble for best regrowth. Both products will have similar management for nitrate and prussic acid as other sudangrasses. Pro-Max™ cannot be used for horses!

Pro-Max™ has been tested in multiple locations and under multiple management types. We have tested in 2 Wisconsin (1 grazing one silage), 2 Illinois (grazing cattle on one and sheep on another), and 5 in Kentucky (2 silage, 2 grazing, 1 observation) locations plus major work in Mississippi at Mississippi State University looking at animal production advantages for Pro-Max™.

Suggestions for Raising Sudangrass:

Plant 1/2 to 1 inch deep for the best stand. Seeding rates for grazing 25-30 pounds per acre. Soil temperature should be in the 60-65 degree range at planting time. No-till planting works following grain; or into pastures or into alfalfa stands where it works for your forage use.

Start grazing at 25-30 inches. Leave 6-8 inch stubble (for best regrowth and yield) then rotate paddocks. Harvesting for hay at 40-49 inches gives the best yield, total digestible nutrients (TDN) and highest protein levels. Crimping with your swather will help cure sudangrass for better and quicker hay harvesting. Sudangrass for silage should be cut before full flowering and allowed to cure over night before chopping for silage pit (high water content can lower silage quality). Leave 6-8 inch stubble for best regrowth and yield. Do not graze until growth reaches 24": do not graze or harvest wilted or frozen forage. Pro-Max™ cannot be used for horses.