FORAGE CHARACTERIZATION OF BUFFEL-GRASS (Cenchrus ciliare L.) IN SEMI-DRY TO SEMI-WARM CLIMATES IN ZACATECAS, MEXICO

Abstract

Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliare L.) is a species used for the production of forage that is characterized by its adequate adaptation to diverse environments. The aim was to evaluate the characteristics of forage and seeds from four materials and a variety of Buffel grass under rainfed conditions in the semi-dry and semi-warm weather of Zacatecas. The experiment was held in Huanusco, Zacatecas, Mexico, in a totally randomized block design with three replications. The materials were: M-42, M-45, M-66, M-S245, and the Titán variety as a control. For forage, two cuts were performed, considering the variables of plant height (PH), production of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and in vitro digestibility of dry matter (IVDDM). Seed characteristics were determined upon physiological maturity using the variables of seed yield (SY), number of spikes per plant (Sp/plt), caryopsides per spikelet (Car/sp), and area of caryopsides (Area/Car). The data were analyzed in SAS, and the means were compared using Lsmeans. For the variable PH, M-42 stood out with an average height of 97.3 cm. In the production of DM, M-42 and M-45 surpassed Titán (p < 0.05), with yields higher than 4.4 Mg ha^-1. M-42 had the greatest CP content at 7.29 %, whereas M-45 and M-S245 had the highest IVDDM concentrations at 74.5 and 74.8 %, respectively. Regarding seed characteristics, M-42 surpassed Titán, with a SY of 295 kg ha^-1. The study concluded that M-42 is the best option for grassland management in Zacatecas, Mexico, where the weather is semi-warm and semi-dry.