Identification of potential elephant grass hybrids for forage production via mixed models

Abstract

Elephant grass has been widely used as forage because it is easier to become silage and because it has good nutritional indices. This research aimed to estimate the combining ability and analyze the genetic components of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum. syn. Cenchrus purpureus) hybrids got from diallel crosses. Twenty-five elephant grass hybrids were obtained by a 5 x 5 partial diallel design, which were evaluated, at three harvests (January 2013, July 2013, and January 2014). Plants were grown in the field for three months before each harvest, taken for two harvests in the wet season (October to January) and one harvest in the dry season (May to July). The experiments were carried out in a randomized block design with 3 replications. Diallel analyzes were performed using a mixed model approach. There was high environment variance and low narrow-sense heritability for most traits. Narrow-sense heritability estimates were higher than 0.5 for leaf blade width. The combinations UENF38 x UENF3, UENF49 x UENF3, UENF49 x UENF37, UENF60 x UENF3 were selected for higher forage yield.