Morfogênese de híbridos de brachiaria durante as estações do ano

Abstract

In Brazil, the vast majority of grasses used for pasture formation belong to the genus Brachiaria. In this sense, information about these grasses, such as morphogenetic assessments, is important for adopting the best pasture management strategies. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the morphogenesis of the following Brachiaria hybrids during the seasons of the year: mulato II, mavuno, ipyporã, cayana, sabiá, camello, and cayman. To achieve this, the experiment was conducted from October 2021 to October 2023 at the Capim Branco Experimental Farm, part of the Veterinary Medicine College at the Federal University of Uberlândia, in Uberlândia, MG. The experiment was designed as a completely randomized design, with repeated measures over time and three repetitions. In a representative month of each season (May, July, and November 2022, and February 2023), morphogenesis was evaluated in five basal tillers per experimental unit (plot). From the collected information, the following variables were calculated: leaf appearance rate, leaf elongation rate, stem elongation rate, leaf senescence rate, and leaf lifespan. In spring and summer, higher values were observed for leaf appearance rate, leaf elongation rate, and leaf senescence rate, compared to autumn and winter. The stem elongation rate was higher in summer (0.22 cm/tiller.day) than in the other seasons. Leaf lifespan was greater in autumn (130 days) and winter (94 days), compared to spring (67 days) and summer (59 days). The morphogenetic patterns were not influenced by the evaluated hybrids. The seasons of the year generate differences in the morphogenetic responses of the assessed grasses.