Management of consecutive cuts in the production and quality of wintergreen paspalum seeds

Rodrigo Ramos Lopes,Henrique Jaeschke Ost,Cleber Henrique Lopes De Souza,Lucia Brandão Franke

doi:10.1590/s1806-92902016001000002

Rodrigo Ramos Lopes, Henrique Jaeschke Ost + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1806-92902016001000002

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the practice of consecutive cuts in the production and quality of Paspalum guenoarum seeds of the Azulao ecotype. The experimental design used was in completely randomized blocks with four replications. The treatment included three cuts in succession: zero cut, one cut, two cuts, and three cuts. The variables were: number of total tillers/plant; number of vegetative tillers/plant; number of reproductive tillers/plant; percentage of reproductive tillers; number of racemes/inflorescence; weight of thousand seeds; number of seeds/inflorescence; seed production; forage dry matter; water content of seeds; germination; first germination count; and germination speed index. The largest seed production was obtained with zero cut (850.3, first year and 719.4 kg/ha-1, second year) and one cut (794.4, first year and 627.3 kg/ha-1, second year) with no statistical difference between them. The largest germination percentage was seen with the application of zero (71.0%, first year and 79.3%, second year) and one cut (69.3%, first year and 75.0%, second year). There was a decrease in the production and quality of the seeds of the second cut, especially during the first year of evaluation. The total tillers, the percentage of tillers that went through the reproductive stage, and the number of reproductive tillers are the variables that are most highly correlated with seed production.

Highlights

The Plicatula group, of the Paspalum genus, is the most important in Brazil and in South America, known for its agronomic characteristics, serving as a feed source for wild and domesticated animals (Meireles et al, 2013)
This is the case of the Paspalum guenoarum species, “Azulão” ecotype, that features high levels of total dry matter production (15995 kg/ha–1), dry matter from leaves (11218 kg/ha–1), high digestibility, and cold tolerance (Pereira et al, 2012)
In crops grown for seed production, the management of forage cuts is justified because it stimulates the formation of high-density tillers, retards and synchronizes the flowering, and aids the harvest process due to the reduction of vegetable mass (Humphreys and Riveros, 1986)

Summary

Introduction

The Plicatula group, of the Paspalum genus, is the most important in Brazil and in South America, known for its agronomic characteristics, serving as a feed source for wild and domesticated animals (Meireles et al, 2013). Several studies demonstrate the superiority of this group when compared with genotypes Notata and Livida group (Fachinetto et al, 2012) This is the case of the Paspalum guenoarum species, “Azulão” ecotype, that features high levels of total dry matter production (15995 kg/ha–1), dry matter from leaves (11218 kg/ha–1), high digestibility, and cold tolerance (Pereira et al, 2012). In crops grown for seed production, the management of forage cuts is justified because it stimulates the formation of high-density tillers, retards and synchronizes the flowering, and aids the harvest process due to the reduction of vegetable mass (Humphreys and Riveros, 1986) Factors such as the number, period, and height of the cuts influence the increase in reproductive tiller concentration, the number of inflorescences, and the final seed production (Souza, 2001). The larger number of cuts reduced the production of seeds and the number of inflorescences per area

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