Phenotyping of pastures in agroecological conditions of the Cochabamba High Valley

Abstract

Pastures are the livelihoods for world production of meat and milk, and are a critical resource for millions of people who depend on livestock for food security. The objective of this work was to evaluate the phenotypic behavior of grasslands native to the Altiplano in agroecological conditions of the Alto Cochabamba Valley. Six (6) accessions of native pastures, which correspond to the Poa, Festuca and Bromus genera of the Poaceae family, from a collection in the high Andean region of Bolivia, were evaluated. The results of analysis of variance showed differences between the traits evaluated. On the other hand, Plant height, leaf area, perimeter of plant cover, number of inflorescences, diameter of plant cover and volume of macolla presented values ​​of high heritability, selective accuracy and ratios of coefficients of genetic and environmental variation. Therefore, three accessions of native pastures were identified that have outstanding characteristics in plant height, leaf area, perimeter of plant cover, diameter of plant cover and volume of macolla.