Preliminary characterization and selection of germoplasm of genus Paspalum for forage production

With the objective to increase the germoplasm availability for forage production, 215 accessions of the genus Paspalum collected in different regions and introduced at the Embrapa Southeast - Cattle Research Center, located at the central region of the Sao Paulo state. These accessions were evaluated and selected based on their yields in the first year, of dry matter from the vegetative development throughout the year and during the period of high and low rain precipitation. The accesses were evaluated in three experiments using a randomized blocks desing with two replicates. Dry matter production was obtained and analyzed from four cuts during the year (DMYEAR), which were representative of the development during the spring/summer (DMRAINY) and autumn/winter (DMDRY) seasons. The individual analyses, per experiment, showed variability among the accessions for the evaluated characteristics. The analyses as a set for the experiments was analyzed by the methodology of total analyses of the experiments in a randomized blocks desing with a common treatments (controls - Brachiaria decumbens and Andropogon gayanus cv. Baeti). Due to the significant variance interaction among common treatments by experiments, the selection was done for each experiment by choosing the accesses that presented yields at least equivalent to the worst control. Fifty-eight accessions were selected (27%), which demonstrated the possibility of obtaining cultivars with dry matter yields equal or better than the controls.