Resumo

GUTIERREZ-GUTIERREZ, O.G.; MORALES-NIETO, Carlos R.  e  MELGOZA-CASTILLO, Alicia. Productive characteristics of natal grass [Melinis repens (Willd.) Zizka]. Revista bio ciencias [online]. 2023, vol.10, e1512.  Epub 12-Abr-2024. ISSN 2007-3380.  https://doi.org/10.15741/revbio.10.e1512.

This work aimed to characterize the morphology, forage production, nutritional quality, and drought resistance Natal grass. The assessed variables were: botanical composition (point line), forage production (cut into 0.25 m2 quadrants), pasture morphology (separation of plant components), in the growth stage the CP analysis (Kjeldahl method), and In Vitro Organic Matter Digestibility (Daysy method), and Acid and Neutral Fibers (Van Soest method). the germination percentage and its response to drought (0, -1.0, and -2.0 MPa). Data were analyzed using a completely randomized analysis. The botanical composition was integrated mainly by grasses, followed by herbaceous and shrubs with 67.45%, 16.90%, and 15.65%, respectively. Production in the study area was from 244 to 2118 kg DM ha-1. The germination percentage of natal grass decreases by 72 % when it is subjected to osmotic pressure levels of -1.0 MPa. During the growth stage, the natal grass presented levels of 11.53 % Crude Protein. The crude protein levels could be due to the amount of leaves that appeared during the growing season. It is recommended to make crude protein measurements throughout the year to observe change dynamics in natal grass.

Palavras-chave : Forage quality; production; morphology; adaptation.