Optimización fenológica para la producción de semillas de Paspalum dilatatum

In the various agro-ecological regions of Uruguay, there is a notable variability in the production of fodder, conditioned by the prevailing soil and climatic conditions. Among the alternatives considered to alleviate the seasonal scarcity of fodder in such scenarios, the incorporation of perennial cultivated species with a summer cycle and C4 metabolism stands out. Within the set of native species preponderant in the Grasslands of the Río de la Plata, the grass Paspalum dilatatum stands out. This species stands out for its remarkable productive capacity and its ability to adapt to various conditions. Currently, these are imported from Australia, where there are favorable climatic conditions and a greater mastery of seed production techniques. Although the material is native to Uruguay, adapted to our conditions, the limited knowledge about the reproductive morphophysiology of these plants leads to seed yields that are economically unviable. This difficulty in the production of national seed is attributed to a common characteristic in grasses, which is the constant emission of panejas, i.e., the reproductive stage coincides with the vegetative phase. Based on the characterization of the flowering curve, the present work was carried out in order to determine the stage of maximum seed production of Paspalum dilatatum. The objective was to evaluate the effect of the phenologically adjusted harvest date on the volume and quality of seeds produced. This work was carried out based on an experimental design using randomized blocks with 3 replicates, where five genotypes of Paspalum dilatatum were used. The data collection consisted of fixing the zero moment for each plot, by counting live plants, fully developed inflorescences, partially developed and those that are still stuffed; the count was carried out on a weekly basis. Two harvests were carried out from November 2019 to January 2020, and from February 2020 to May 2020. In order to be able to compare the two batches of seed production; It was possible to determine that batch one was superior to batch two for the variables studied. Accepting the hypothesis that, yes, there is an optimal time for the production of Paspalum dilatatum seeds.