Evaluation of three varieties of Buffel grass, in the North of Tamaulipas

Resumen

Objective: To evaluate the vegetative, reproductive, production, and forage quality characteristics of three Buffel grass varieties from northern Tamaulipas.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A pot trial was established under open field conditions, at CERIB-CIRNE-INIFAP in Río Bravo, Tamaulipas, on 04/15/2016 and 03/10/2017; the experiment was carried out with a completely randomized design, with 30 replications per material. The morphological, reproductive, production, and chemical composition characteristics of the Milenio, Regio, and Titán Buffel grass varieties forage were evaluated.

Results: The year accounted for 62.3% of the variation in the stem and leaf characteristics. The genotype contributed 35.4% and G*Y interaction, less than 2%. Regarding the reproductive variables, the genotype accounted for 62% of the results, the G*Y interaction, 25%, and the year, 13%. The genotype and the year accounted for 44% and 47% of the variance in forage production and quality, respectively. The G*Y interaction had no statistical effect.

Limitations/Implications: The evaluation was carried out under pot conditions, which implies that the roots of the plants have limited growth and that the expression of some of the characteristics of the material may be restricted.

Findings/Conclusions: The major differences between the three varieties were found in their morphological characteristics: duration of the flowering stage, reproductive stems proportion, panicle length, exertion of the panicle from the main stem, number of florets per panicle, and seed weight.