CORRELATION COEFFICIENTS BETWEEN THE NUMBERS OF CATEGORIES TILLERS ON SIGNALGRASS PASTURE

Abstract

The understanding of relationship between the numbers of tillers categories allows the identification of compensatory mechanisms that ensure plants adaptation to grazing. Thus, this work was conducted to evaluate the associations between densities of various tillers categories in same Brachiaria decumbens pasture under continuous stocking with cattle. The tillers were measured with different growth sources, developmental stages, and defoliation and sizes levels in sites of same pasture with plants of 10, 20, 30 and 40 cm. Pearson linear correlation between the different tillers categories were estimated. The vegetative tillers number (VTN) correlated positively with percentage of tillers with up to 20 cm. The response pattern opposite occurred with reproductive (RTN) and dead (DTN) tillers numbers. The correlations of number of leafless tillers were positive with the percentage of tillers with less than 20 cm and negative with the percentage of tillers with more than 20 cm. The VTN correlated positively with numbers of tillers with and without defoliation, and negatively with the RNT and DNT. The number of aerial tiller was positively correlated with the number of tillers without apical meristem. In B. decumbens pasture there are tradeoffs between percentage of longer tillers and VNT, between numbers of vegetative and leafless tillers, and between VNT and RNT.