Production and Quality of \u3ci\u3ePaspalum\u3c/i\u3e Forage in State of São Paulo

Biomass produced by accessions of 26 species, belonging to 12 botanical groups of the genus Paspalum, collected in the south and central regions of Brazil, were evaluated during the first year of establishment for quantitative characteristics: production of dry biomass (DMY), percentage of dry matter (PDM) and regrowth score and qualitative traits: concentration of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), “in vitro” dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and crude protein percentage in dry matter (CPPDM) -, in the central area of the state of São Paulo, in a completely randomized block design with two replications. The largest averages of DMY were obtained by the species P. regnellii, P. coryphaeum and P. atratum, belonging respectively to the botanical groups Virgata, Quadrifaria and Plicatula. The analyses of canonical correlation showed existence of nonindependence between the group formed by the quantitative variables and the group formed by the qualitative variables. The variables which presented the largest coefficients within each group were PDM and IVDMD, with opposite signs, indicating a nonindependent relationship between the analyzed groups