Abstract

PENSIERO, José F.; GUTIERREZ, Hugo F.; EXNER, Eliana  and  ZABALA, Juan M.. Variation in characters of agronomic interest in Setaria lachnea (Nees) Kunth populations. Agrociencia [online]. 2011, vol.45, n.6, pp.699-709. ISSN 2521-9766.

Setaria lachnea is recommended for its introduction to cultivation due to its qualities as native forage, for which variation of traits with agronomic importance in nine native populations of Argentina was analyzed. The variables were height of shoot and length and width of leaves, flowering phenology through the date of panicle emergence, fertility, variability and germination ability of seeds. Data were processed using a variance analysis and mean comparison (Tukey; p < 0.05). The analysis of the variables studied showed variation between populations. Shoot height ranged between 46 and 104 cm, leaf length, between 23 and 34 cm and width leaf between 1.1 and 1.9 cm. The populations differed from each other in the number of days since the beginning of panicle emergence up to reach 50 % and 100 % of emergence of panicles. The average fertility rate was 49%, with significant differences between populations. The germination of seeds of all populations was scarce or zero, although its viability was above 80 %, which confirmed the presence of dormancy which prevented germination. The morphological variations were not associated with the geographical origin of populations.

Keywords : Setaria lachnea; emergence of panicles; fertility; viability; germination.