Description
Megathyrsus maximus is a forage species used over 30 million hectares in Brazil and in the surrounding countries for intensification of the cattle production systems. Due to the large area and distinct biomes in which it is used, there is a need to continuously develop more productive and adapted cultivars to each biome and use. Three apomictic accessions were crossed with five sexual plants at Embrapa Beef Cattle in Campo Grande, MS, Brazil in 2014. More than 1100 hybrids were planted in a spaced-plant field and evaluated visually for regrowth after cuts and for disease and pest damage. In 2016, the best 154 hybrids together with the parentals and standards were planted in small plots with replication, and evaluated for two years for forage production and quality under a harvest cutting regime. From the nine harvests performed, the best twenty-three hybrids and four standards were planted to a field on 12 m2 plots with three replications on February 2019. These genotypes were evaluated under cuts every 35 days in the rainy season and at the end of the dry season in a total of 10 harvests. Leaf dry matter yield varied from 6.0 to 15.1 tons ha-1 with a dry season percentage of 5.7 to 12.8%. Leaf percentage varied from 59 to 92% and seed yield from 50 to 158 kg ha-1. The genotypes were grouped taking into account production, quality and morphological characteristics. Selection of the best ones is presented and discussed viewing evaluation under grazing before release in the market.
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Development of Megathyrsus maximus Genotypes for Intensification of Cattle Rearing in Brazil
Megathyrsus maximus is a forage species used over 30 million hectares in Brazil and in the surrounding countries for intensification of the cattle production systems. Due to the large area and distinct biomes in which it is used, there is a need to continuously develop more productive and adapted cultivars to each biome and use. Three apomictic accessions were crossed with five sexual plants at Embrapa Beef Cattle in Campo Grande, MS, Brazil in 2014. More than 1100 hybrids were planted in a spaced-plant field and evaluated visually for regrowth after cuts and for disease and pest damage. In 2016, the best 154 hybrids together with the parentals and standards were planted in small plots with replication, and evaluated for two years for forage production and quality under a harvest cutting regime. From the nine harvests performed, the best twenty-three hybrids and four standards were planted to a field on 12 m2 plots with three replications on February 2019. These genotypes were evaluated under cuts every 35 days in the rainy season and at the end of the dry season in a total of 10 harvests. Leaf dry matter yield varied from 6.0 to 15.1 tons ha-1 with a dry season percentage of 5.7 to 12.8%. Leaf percentage varied from 59 to 92% and seed yield from 50 to 158 kg ha-1. The genotypes were grouped taking into account production, quality and morphological characteristics. Selection of the best ones is presented and discussed viewing evaluation under grazing before release in the market.
