Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the morpho-agronomic traits of eighty five accessions of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) from the germplasm bank located at the Experimental Field of the State Center for Research on Bioenergy and Waste Recovery (Centro Estadual de Pesquisa em Agroenergia e Aproveitamento de Residuos). The experimental design was a randomized block with two replicates, in an annual-harvest system. The evaluated traits were: percentage of dry matter (%DM), dry matter yield (DMY), number of tillers per linear meter (NT), plant height (HGT), stem diameter (SD), leaf blade width (LW) and leaf blade length (LL). Each cut and variable underwent variance analysis and the Scott-Knott test (P<0.05). Tocher’s optimization method, Mahalanobis distance and canonic variables were used for the multi-traits, and importance of the characters in the canonic variables. The following elite genotypes were identified by the Scott-Knott test at 5%: Rico 534-B, Taiwan A-144, Napier S.E.A., Mole de Volta Grande, Teresopolis, Taiwan A-46, Duro de Volta Grande, Turrialba, Taiwan A-146, Cameroon Piracicaba, Taiwan A-121, P241 Piracicaba, Elefante Cachoeira Itapemirim, Guaco/I.Z.2, Cameroon, IJ 7126 cv EMPASC 310, IJ 7139, Australiano, 10 AD IRI, and Pasto Panama. By the analysis of the canonic variables, the first two accumulated 64.6457% of variance. Regarding the relative importance of the evaluated traits, the leaf blade length at cut two was the most important. By Tocher’s optimization method, the eighty five accessions were divided into twenty five groups, indicating a high variability in the germplasm bank. Key words: Pennisetum purpureum, Tocher’s optimization, Mahalanobis distance, elephant grass.
Highlights
The search for alternatives to reduce the use of fossil fuels for energy production has increased worldwide in the past years due to the elevated international price of oil and its derivatives, and especially due to the concerns with the environmental and climatic changes (Morais et al, 2009)
The results demonstrate that there were significant differences by the F test at 1% probability for dry matter yield (DMY), in t.ha–1 at cut 1 and in the total; at cut 2 it was significant at 5% probability
The experimental coefficients of variation (CV) for the Dry matter yield (DMY) of cut 1, cut 2 and the total were similar; the lowest CV for DMY was found in the total (31.93%), whereas the highest value was observed in cut 2 (38.98%)
Summary
The search for alternatives to reduce the use of fossil fuels for energy production has increased worldwide in the past years due to the elevated international price of oil and its derivatives, and especially due to the concerns with the environmental and climatic changes (Morais et al, 2009). Pennisetum purpureum Schum., popularly known as elephant grass, is a native perennial Poaceae from tropical Africa, common to the fertile valleys between the latitudes 10° N and 10° S, having an annual precipitation of over 1,000 m. In 1920 it was introduced in Brazil, from Cuba (Carvalho et al, 1995; Deresz, 1999; Rodrigues et al, 2001; Pereira et al., 2008; Lima et al, 2010) This forage plant was welldisseminated all over the country in view of its good adaptation to the tropical environment, growing well from the sea level to altitudes of 2,200 m, between temperatures of 18 and 30°C and precipitation of 800 to
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