INTRODUCTION
Panicum maximum is indigenous to the subtropical areas of Southern Africa where it occurs mainly in the sub habitat under trees (Pieterse et al. 1997). It is a tall vigorous perennial grass that grows in tropical and subtropical areas with more than 900 mm of rainfall on a wide range of soils. The deep, dense and fibrous root system allow guinea grass to survive quite long drought periods, but it performs best on well-drained soils of good fertility in high rainfall regions (Humphreys and Patridge 1995). Panicum maximum is tolerant of shade and fire, but