SEED PRODUCTION AND QUALITY IN NOVEL APOMICTIC HYBRIDS OF BAHIAGRASS

ENZO CABALLERO; ALEX L. ZILLI; FLORENCIA MARCÓN; CARLOS A. ACUÑA; ELSA A. BRUGNOLI; MARIO H. URBANI

Pergamino

Congreso; 9TH INTERNATIONAL HERBAGE SEED CONFERENCE; 2017

INTERNATIONAL HERBAGE SEED GROUP

Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) is a warm-season perennial grass native from South America. Seed propagation is the primary advantage of bahiagrass over vegetatively propagated grasses; therefore, a reliable source of high-quality seed is essential to successfully establish new fields. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the seed yield and quality in apomictichybrids of Paspalum notatum. Seventeen tetroploid hybrids with high apospory expressivity, previously selected by agronomics characteristics, and two cultivar of bahigrass (cv Argentine and Boyero UNNE) were cultivated in plots of 1.5 x 1.5 m in a field near to Corrientes, Argentina. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with three replications. Seed yield was evaluated during summer of 2016, and then the seed was kept refrigerated at 18 ºC for 7 months between harvest and sowing. Eleven apomictic hybrids were not different than Argentine or Boyero UNNE for seed production. On the other hand, two hybrids showed better germination level (92%) than Argentine (68%) and Boyero (46%) when were evaluated 7 months after harvest. In addition, only 8 hybrids showed lower germination level than 70%. In conclusion, in Paspalum notatum is possible to obtain hybrids with similar seed yield and superior germination level than the used cultivars. In addition, it is possible to obtain good level of germination without scarification techniques.