Seleção de genótipos de Pennisetum sp. nas condições do semiárido Pernambucano

Abstract

The objective of this work were to select Pennisetum sp. genotypes based on survival and realize the characterization agronomic-bromatological in Serra Talhada municipality, semiarid region of Pernambuco. The experiment was established in 2011 at the Lauro Ramos Bezerra Experimental Station, Agricultural Research Institute (IPA), Northeast Brazil, under randomized block design, with four replications. The clones/treatments were represented by 38 Pennisetum sp. genotypes, being 27 elephant grass (P. purpureum Schum.) interspecific hybrids crossed with millet (P. glaucum L. R. Br.), generated in 2009; seven elephant grass cultivars (Taiwan A-146, Taiwan A-25, Mercker SEA, Cuba 116, “Elefante Roxo”, “Elefante B” and Napier 472-76); two commercial cultivars (Cameroon and “Mineirão”) and two elephant grass interspecific hybrids with millet from the IPA Itambé-PE unity (Itambé-2006 selection and Natural Itambé). Ten agronomic-bromatological traits were evaluated in three cycles between the months of February/2011 to March/2012, with the first cut made after 60 days and the other with 105 days, because of the dry season. Of the 38 genotypes evaluated, eight elephant grass cultivars (“Elefante Roxo”, Taiwan A-146, Cuba 116, Taiwan A-25, Napier 472-76, “Elefante B”, “Mineirão” and Cameroon) and eight interspecific hybrids (ST-20A, ST-36A, ST-42, ST-45A, ST-51, Seleção Itambé-2006 e Natural Itambé) were selected . The cultivars presented higher survivability compared to hybrids in the Serra Talhada conditions. However the some hybrids showed survivors, revealing expressive dry matter concentration and high production, highlighting the ST-36A, ST-42 and ST-47A hybrids, which showed 6.6, 4.2 and 5.5 t DM/ha and concentration of dry matter of 24.46, 25.95 and 23.15% on average of the three cuts, respectively.