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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Crop Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #96307
Title: HETEROSIS FOR FORAGE YIELD AND QUALITY IN PENNISETUM INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDS

Author
item QUERO, A - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item Burson, Byron
item HUSSEY, M - TEXAS A&M UNIV

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/31/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fertilization of an unreduced egg (2n+n) occasionally occurs in apomictic species and has been suggested as a method for improving apomictic forage grasses. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the yield and forage quality of 2n+n interspecific hybrids between Pennisetum flaccidum Griseb. and P. mezianum Leeke in comparison to that of the regular (n+n) interspecific hybrids and the parents. Ten n+n and ten 2n+n hybrids were selected at random for this study and established vegetatively in the spring of 1996. Forage yield and quality (crude protein, NDF, ADF, and lignin) were determined at monthly intervals during the 1996 and 1997 growing seasons. The mean yield of the n+n and 2n+n interspecific hybrids was 33 and 43% higher than the highest yielding parent while the NDF, ADF, and lignin concentrations of both the n+n and 2n+n hybrids were lower than the parents.