Abstract

PESQUEIRA, J; OTONDO, J  and  GARCIA, M.D. Producción de biomasa, cobertura y calidad forrajera de Chloris gayana y Panicum coloratum en un suelo alcalino sódico de la Depresión del Salado. RIA. Rev. investig. agropecu. [online]. 2017, vol.43, n.3, pp.231-238. ISSN 1669-2314.

Agricultural expansion, which has been occurring in the region during the last two decades, has not only reduced considerably livestock production but also displaced it to marginal areas. In this context, the incorporation of species that improve productivity, forage quality and availability throughout the year, is a contribution to the livestock development potential in the region. Panicum coloratum and Chloris gayana are subtropical perennial grasses, used in other areas as fodder and characterized by its tolerance to different stresses (drought, salinity, waterlogging, alkalinity and frost). In this work we evaluate the behavior of Panicum coloratum cv. Klein Verde and Chloris gayana cv. Finecut during four growth cycles in an alkaline / sodic soil in the Salado River Basin, and we compared the results with the natural grassland and with Agropyron elongatum. Cynodon dactylon stood out for being always present and second in order according to the cover percentage in the planted plots; which may have limited the expression of subtropical species. On the average of the four growth cycles, P. coloratum (1390.32 ± 73.96 kg ha^-1) exceeded A. elongatum (1081.26 ± 73.96 kg ha^-1) and the natural grassland (961.18 ± 73.96 kg ha^-1), and was not statistically different from C. gayana (1147.18 ± 73.96 kg ha^-1). Forage quality in terms of digestibility and fiber content did not show differences between the evaluated materials. The crude protein content in P. coloratum and C. gayana was not different from that recorded in the natural grassland but was lower than that of A. elongatum.

Keywords : Forages; Subtropical; Natural grassland; Agropyron elongatum.

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