VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Pueraria lobata | Kudzu 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Kudzu provides a good-quality forage for livestock, but yields are low.
Cattle, horses, and sheep eat the green leaves [12].


PALATABILITY : 
Kudzu is palatable to cattle [19].



NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Kudzu is nutritionally comparable to clover and alfalfa [19].  It is
rich in protein and phosphorus and is a nutritious fodder even during
droughts [1].


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Kudzu can be used for watershed and erosion control.  In the South where
years of planting crops have depleted the soil of nitrogen and other
minerals, kudzu has been used for restoring nitrogen to the soil [12].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
In the South, kudzu is used as a fast-growing ornamental climber,
providing shade for porches and houses [20].  In parts of Asia, fibers
from the vine are used to make paper and cloth [12].  In China and Japan
the root starch is used in cooking, and extracts from the root are used
medicinally [12].

The thick woody vines can be used along with coal for the production of
steam in electrical power plants.  Kudzu has half the heating value as
coal and very low sulfur content, and could be useful as a partial local
solution to air pollution and energy conservation [18].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Management considerations call for kudzu control in the South.  Kudzu
suppresses growth even of mature trees by competing for water,
nutrients, and light.  Kudzu's dense mat makes tree regeneration
impossible, and the climbing vines will damage young trees.  The vines
will twist and bend the main stems of trees, causing reduced growth,
malformation of stems and crowns, and sometimes death [16]

Effective control of kudzu can only be accomplished through the
elimination of the root system.  Kudzu has been effectively controlled
through the use of the herbicide Picloram, which can kill 90 percent of
the root system [15,17,24]

Continuous grazing of kudzu is also an effective control measure.
Grazing kills the plant by removing leaves and vines as fast as new
growth appears.  This process, if continued long enough, depletes the
plant of starch and other food reserves used to initiate new growth
[15].

Related categories for Species: Pueraria lobata | Kudzu