Abstract

EXNER, Eliana; ZABALA, Juan M.  and  PENSIERO, José F.. Variations in flowering phenology and reproductive success in Setaria lachnea. Agrociencia [online]. 2010, vol.44, n.7, pp.779-789. ISSN 2521-9766.

Setaria lachnea, moha petenne, is a native gtass with excellent fotage quality; thus, its inttoduction to cultivation has been tecommended. Thetefote, in the ptesent study, the variability in flowering phenology and teptoductive success of thtee Atgentine populations from diffetent places by altitudinal gtadient have been analyzed, with respect to points of interest fot selecting materials. A completely randomized experimental design was used, with 10 genotypes per population and 3 replications per genotype. Flowering phenology was analyzed through variables of flowering start and mid-flowering; the number of panicles was quantified by observation, the number of the total of panicles and reproductive success by fruiting percentage. For flowering start only significant (p≤0.05) intrapopulation variations wete found. Seventy-five percent of the genotypes started flowering in November 2005. For mid-flowering, there wete significant inter- and intra-population differences (p≤0.05). The intrapopulation variability obsetved will allow selecting genotypes with ptolonged vegetative period. Reptoduction success, measured as mean fruiting percentage, was 41 (high fot a nondomesticated species), with variation from 3 % to 80 %. In the two analyzed yeats (2005-2006), significant inter- and intra-population differences (p≤0.05) wete found. Genotypes of the population of less height stood out by their high fruiting percentage, always above 40 %; however, there was no variation pattern associated to altitude. Beginning of flowering was not correlated with fruiting percentage; therefore, it will be possible to select late-ripening materials, without altering fruiting percentage.

Keywords : native forage; altitudinal gradient; moha perenne; interpopulation variability; intrapopulation variability.