Publication Date
1989
Description
Seasonally flooded lands with a high water table (varzea) constitute a significant portion of the Cerrados. It is estimated that there are 30 x 106 ha of hydromorphic soils in Brazil and 12 x 106 ha of these varzea lands are situated in the Cerrados (Goedert, 1986). Paspalum is a predominantly American genus, it contains c. 250 species, most of which are good grazing grasses and several of which are adapted to wet situations. According to Chase (1944), the majority of the c. 160 species of this genus occurring in Brazil are well-accepted by cattle. A major limitation to the use of some exotic grass species in tropical America is the incidence of spittlebug. The widelysown Brachiaria decumbens and B. humidicola are highly susceptible to the insect pest. Nilakhe et al. (1985) found antibiosis in P. guenoarum and P. plicatulum that effectively reduced survival and fecundity of adult spittlebugs (Zulia entreriana) and killed nymphs of the insect feeding on these species. Our objective was to select grass species adapted to soils with impeded drainage which also produce high yields of good quality forage for dry-season supplementation of livestock. This paper is a summary of agronomic assessment of 15 wetland grasses carried out in a seasonally waterlogged situation.
Citation
Grof, B; de Andrade, R P.; de Souza, M A.; and Valls, J.M F., "Selection of Paspalum spp. Adapted to Seasonally Flooded Varzea Lands in Central Brazil" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 53.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session3/53
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Selection of Paspalum spp. Adapted to Seasonally Flooded Varzea Lands in Central Brazil
Seasonally flooded lands with a high water table (varzea) constitute a significant portion of the Cerrados. It is estimated that there are 30 x 106 ha of hydromorphic soils in Brazil and 12 x 106 ha of these varzea lands are situated in the Cerrados (Goedert, 1986). Paspalum is a predominantly American genus, it contains c. 250 species, most of which are good grazing grasses and several of which are adapted to wet situations. According to Chase (1944), the majority of the c. 160 species of this genus occurring in Brazil are well-accepted by cattle. A major limitation to the use of some exotic grass species in tropical America is the incidence of spittlebug. The widelysown Brachiaria decumbens and B. humidicola are highly susceptible to the insect pest. Nilakhe et al. (1985) found antibiosis in P. guenoarum and P. plicatulum that effectively reduced survival and fecundity of adult spittlebugs (Zulia entreriana) and killed nymphs of the insect feeding on these species. Our objective was to select grass species adapted to soils with impeded drainage which also produce high yields of good quality forage for dry-season supplementation of livestock. This paper is a summary of agronomic assessment of 15 wetland grasses carried out in a seasonally waterlogged situation.
