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Abstract

Morphophysiological and chemical aspects of torpedograss (Panicum repens L., Poaceae). This work evaluated some of the morphophysiological and bromatological aspects of torpedograss (Panicum repens L.) through the quantification of accumulation, allocation and chemical composition of dry matter (DM) during spring-summer. Four destructive harvests of aerial and underground parts were carried out on 23 October 2003, 3 December 2003, 22 January 2004 and 20 February 2004, corresponding to 31, 73, 123 and 152 days after the start of the spring. In these harvests, the DM accumulation were, respectively 1,650; 4,470; 10,900 and 14,540 kg/ha in the aerial part, with leaf percentages between 45% (first harvest) and 35% (last harvest). The crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) changed between the first and the last harvest, from 9.9 to 7% (CP), 63.9% to 70.3% (FDN), and 37% to 40.8% (FDA), in samples composed by leaves, culms, inflorescences and stolons. The DM allocation to rhizomes (Rh), roots (R), leaves (L), culms+stolons (C) and inflorescences (I) changed, between the first and the last harvest, from 42 to 19% (Rh), 10 to 7% (R), 22 to 27% (L), 25 to 44% (C), and 0 to 2% (I).