Erosion control
Brachiaria brizantha has been used successfully as ground cover for erosion control in Australia and India. It performs quite well without fertilizer and was found to be one of the best grasses under low levels of N and P in Colombia.
Competition
Brachiaria brizantha suppresses weeds thanks to its fast growth rate (FAO, 2010; Husson et al., 2008; Cook et al., 2005). When it is used as an intercrop, it reduces the yields of upland rice and soybean (the latter by 40-50%) (Cook et al., 2005).