Brachiaria decumbens intraspecific hybrids: characterization and selection for seed production

Lenise Castilho Monteiro,Celso Dornelas Fernandes,Gleiciane Lima Benteo,Jaqueline Rosemeire Verzignassi,Cláudia Barrios Libório,Cacilda Borges Valle,Sanzio Carvalho Lima Barrios

doi:10.1590/2317-1545v38n1152223

Lenise Castilho Monteiro, Celso Dornelas Fernandes + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/2317-1545v38n1152223

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Abstract

Abstract: Brachiaria decumbens has great importance in the national beef cattle scenario due to its high forage yield potential and high adaptability to acid soils and low fertility. In order to obtain new cultivars, intraspecific hybrids, previously selected by the Brachiaria breeding program, were evaluated in 2013 and 2014 for phenological characteristics and seed production potential through their production components, aiming to obtain cultivars with satisfactory production agronomic characteristics and forage yield, resistant to 'cigarrinhas-das-pastagens'(Tomaspia sp.) and good seed production. Estimates of phenotypic correlation and analysis of variance were performed using the SAS 9.3 software. From the results obtained in both consecutive years, it was observed that there was a correlation between the reproductive tiller number (RT) and the pure seeds (PS) weight in the seedbeds of the second year of production around 70% (p < 0.01), which can be considered as a parameter to estimate the production of pure seeds before the start of flowering.

Highlights

Forage grasses, specially Brachiaria, play an important role in Brazilian beef cattle and were responsible for the development of beef cattle in the Central-West, North and Southeast regions
There were significant differences among genotypes assessed for number of grain-free seeds and number of pedicels
Hybrid R181 showed the highest values for both number of grain-free seeds in collectors as the number of pedicels, but without differing from control cv

Summary

Introduction

Specially Brachiaria, play an important role in Brazilian beef cattle and were responsible for the development of beef cattle in the Central-West, North and Southeast regions. It is estimated that about 85% of pasture land cultivated in tropical Brazil are cultivars of Brachiaria, highlighting B. decumbens cv. Marandu and B. humidicola (Valle et al, 2009). B. decumbens, due to its high forage yield potential and high Brasil. Adaptability to acid soils with low fertility, has great importance in the national beef cattle scenario. Even if economically very important, there is only one cultivar available in the market, Basilisk, launched in the 1960s, which has as one of the limitations to its use the susceptibility to cigarrinhas-daspastagens (Tomaspia sp.). Even if economically very important, there is only one cultivar available in the market, Basilisk, launched in the 1960s, which has as one of the limitations to its use the susceptibility to cigarrinhas-daspastagens (Tomaspia sp.). (Verzignassi, 2010)

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