Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the morphogenic and structural characteristics of six Panicum maximum cultivars during the establishment period. A completely randomized block design with four replicates and six treatments (Tamani, Mombaça, Massai, Tanzania, Aruana and Zuri cultivars) was used. Morphogenic (leaf appearance rate, leaf elongation rate e stem elongation rate), structural (final leaf length, tiller population density e number of leaves per tiller) and productive (forage mass, leaf blade mass, stem mass, senescent material mass and leaf:stem ratio) characteristics were evaluated. There was no difference (p > 0.05) between the cultivars in terms of the number of live leaves per tiller (2.95 leaves/tiller). Mombaça cultivar had (p < 0.05) higher canopy height (50.64 cm) compared with other cultivars. The highest (p < 0.05) tiller population density was observed in Tamani (235.90 tillers m-2) and Massai (201.60 tillers m-2) cultivars. Leaf lifespan (54.18 days), phyllochron (17.40 days/leaf) and leaf senescence rate (0.87 cm tiller day-1) were not different (p > 0.05) between cultivars. However, leaf appearance rate was higher (p < 0.05) in Tanzania (0.07 leaves tiller day-1) than in Aruana cultivar (0.05 leaves tiller day-1). Leaf blade mass was higher (p < 0.05) in Mombaça cultivar (1518.31 kg DM ha-1), whereas Massai showed higher (p < 0.05) leaf:stem ratio (9.25). Panicum cultivars Tamani, Tanzania and Massai establishment after 75 days, while the other cultivars establish at 105 days of sowing in the Brazilian Northeast.
Highlights
Pasture establishment is one of the most critical stages of livestock production in the tropics
There was no interaction between cultivar and evaluation period for Tiller population density (TPD), pasture canopy height, number of leaves per tiller and number of tillers per plant
The number of live leaves per tiller in Tanzania and Mombaça cultivars was lower than the value of 3.5 reported by Gomide e Gomide (2000)
Summary
Pasture establishment is one of the most critical stages of livestock production in the tropics. Perennial cultures should be used for maintaining pasture vigor, satisfactory productivity and forage quality levels for sustainable livestock production (Gomide & Gomide, 2000). Panicum maximum is one of the most used forage species in animal production systems in Brazil due to its adaptation to tropical and subtropical climates and high productivity (Gomes, Lempp, Jank, Carpejani, & Morais, 2012). This species possesses several desirable traits, including abundant leaf production (Emerenciano Neto et al, 2017), nutritional value and acceptability by animals (Euclides et al, 2018). Despite being considered adaptable to different edaphoclimatic characteristics (Mochel Filho et al, 2016; Gurgel et al, 2017; Euclides et al, 2018; Pereira, Emerenciano Neto, Difante, Assis, & Lima, 2019), some factors may limit Panicum maximum development during the establishment period
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