The Adaptation and Production of Species and Selections of Grasses and Clover in Colombia Item Type Article; text Authors Crowder, L. V.; A. Vanegas, J.; Lotero C., J.; Michelin, A. Citation Crowder, L. V., Vanegas A., J., Lotero C., J., & Michelin, A. (1959). The adaptation and production of species and selections of grasses and clover in Colombia. Journal of Range Management, 12(5), 225-230. DOI 10.2307/3894991 Publisher Society for Range Management Journal Journal of Range Management Rights Copyright © Society for Range Management. Download date 29/09/2021 19:17:08 Item License http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Version Final published version Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/649644 eries for 2% years and from The Adaptation and Production of Species and others for 1% years. The material in the introduc- Selections of Grasses and Clover in Colombia tion gardens consisted of the most important pasture and for- LOY V. CROWDER, JAIME VANEGAS A., JAIME age crops used in Colombia and LOTERO C., AND ANGELO MICHELIN also a large group of grass and legume species supplied by the Agronomist, Colombian Agricultural Program of The United States Department of Rockefeller Foundation, and Agronomists, Forage Crops Agriculture. The genera included Division, Department of AgricuZturaZ Research, Ministry were: Agropyron, Agrostis, An- of Colombia AgricuZture, dropogon, Anthoxanthum, Ar- rhenatherum, Avena, Axonopus, The cooperative agricultural tions from 150 to 11,000 feet Bouteloua, Brachiaria, Bromus, research program of The Rocke- above sea level. Seeds of forage Chloris, Coix, Cynodon, DactyEis, feller Foundation and the Co- and pasture crops were planted Digitaria, Eragrostis, Eriochloa, lombian Ministry of Agriculture in rows 20 feet long and spaced 3 Festuca, Heteropogon, Holcus, was initiated in 1950. A division feet apart. Vegetative parts Hyparrhenia, Ixophorus, Lolium, Melinis, Panicum, Paspalum, of forage and pasture crops, with (stems, stolons, crowns) served Pennisetum, Phalaris, Phleum, responsibility for pasture man- to establish grasses such as ber- Poa, Saccharum, Sorghum, Ste- agement and grass and legume muda, pangola, elephant, and notaphrum, Tripsacum, Cajanus, improvement, was added in 1955. guinea. A distance of 6 feet was Calopogonium, Canavalia, Cent- left between rows of the pasture Prior to this time available in- rosema, Clitoris, Crotalaria, Des- formation was largely observa- crops, which are spread by sto- mod&m, Dolichos, GZycine, In- tional and little was known con- lons or rhizomes. Each entry was digofera, Lathyrus, Lespedeza, cerning the distribution of duplicated or placed in triplicate. Lotus, Lupinus, Medicago, MeZiZ- grasses and legumes in Colombia, Lime, nitrogen, phosphorus, and otus, Phaseolus, Pisum, Pueraria, nor their adaptation, and poten- potassium were added when soil Sesbania, Stizolobium, Vicia, and tial productivity. Two of the tests indicated that these ele- Vigna. initial projects conducted by the ments were low. The ratings (not adapted, poor, forage division were a survey of Notes were recorded periodi- fair, good, and very good) shown the pasture crops in common use cally on habit of growth, height, in Tables 1 and 2 give the rela- in Colombia and the establish- spread, date of flowering, rela- tive adaptation as measured by ment of introduction nurseries in tive seed set, relative forage persistence, desirable agronomic a number of climatic regions. yield, and recovery after cutting. type of growth, relative forage This report is a review of the When a growth cycle was com- yield (scored on a rating of relative adaptation and produc- pleted, the plants were cut and height, spread, leafiness and tion of the material studied in the procedure repeated. Data stemminess) , seed production, the collection gardens. The data were collected from some nurs- and aftermath. obtained served as the basis for selecting the better adapted spe- cies, which were then placed in more extensive management tri- als such as rate and method of seeding, height and frequency .of clipping, grass-legume mixtures, fertilization, and irrigation. These data were also used in the screening of material for the breeding program. Maferials and Methods Nurseries were established in a number of locations at eleva- - l Paper No. 94 of the AgricuZturaZ FIGURE 1. Annual white sweet clover (left and background) is well adapted over a range Journal Series of The Rockefeller of altitude from 2,500 to 9,000 feet and makes excellent growth as compared to the bien- Foundation. nial (right and foreground), which seldom flowers, 225 CROWDER, VANEGAS, LOTERO, AND MICHELIN Resulfs and Discussion Colombia may be divided into four major climatic zones which are designated as hot, warm, cool, and cold. The boundaries are arbitrarily delimited by alti- tude as follows: Hot-O to 2,500 feet, Warm-2,500 to 6,500 feet, Cool-6,500 to 10,000 feet, Cold- above 10,000 feet. Although many of the forage and pasture crops extend from one climatic division into another, optimum to maximum growth and produc- tion are generally obtained in the specific region of adaptation. Hof Climate (0 fo 2.500 feet.) The area recognized as the hot FIGURE2. Harding grass (left) is not recommended, but the ryegrasses are well adapted climatic zone can be character- to the cool climate and are highly productive. Perennial (English) ryegrass is shown in ized as generally flat with some the center, with annual (domestic) ryegrass on the right. rolling plains and low sloping mountains which are not too cum purpurascens) abounds in and alfalfa may be cut every 5 steep. In the most important the moist places, and guinea to 6 weeks with ample water. A agricultural areas the soil pH grass (Panicum maximum) and prolonged dry season results in ranges from 6.0 to 6.82, and gen- jaragua (Hyparrhenia rufa) are diminished yields, and a striking erally phosphorus and potassium well adapted to the drier loca- deficiency of boron has occurred occur in sufficient amounts to tions. In the lower limits pitted in some areas. Other legumes sustain optimum growth of most bluestem (Andropogon pertusus) which may be utilized are velvet- crops. The mean annual tem- is seen, and other weedy AndTo- bean (Stizolobium deeringian- perature is 85” F. Rainfall varies pogons are common. Among the urn), hyacinth dolichos (Dolichos with location; however, the usual introductions there are several Zablab), pigeon pea (Cajanus pattern is 3 months of ample rain guineas with fine leaves and spp.), pigeonwings (Clitoris followed by 3 months of dry stems which appear to be well spp.), and rice bean (Phaseolus weather. adapted and of superior quality calcaratus). in contrast to the type commonly A rather large number of Warm Climate (2,500 - 6,500 feet.) grasses grow in the hot climatic grown. Pangola grass (Digitaria zone, of which many are quite decumbens) has recently become Several rather large valleys, productive. However, available prominent as a pasture crop, and undulating hills, and rather steep legumes are limited. Common several other grasses appear mountains occur in this region. bermuda grass (Cynodon dacty- promising: Dallisgrass (Paspal- In the important agricultural Zen) and common bahia grass urn dilatatum), buffel grass areas the soil pH ranges from 5.5 (Paspalum notatum) occur (Pennisetum ciliare), signalgrass to 6.5,:ind in some areas the soils throughout the zone and are es- (Brachiariu decumbens), Rhodes are low in phosphorus and nitro- pecially prevalent in overgrazed grass (Chloris gayana), and gen. The daily temperatures pastures. Brownseed (Paspalum coastal, midland, and suwanee vary from 65” to 95” F. and rain- plicatulum) flourishes from bermudas. fall occurs in three-month cycles. about 800 - 1,500 feet, especially Tickclovers (Desmodium spp.) Bahia grass, sour paspalum (P. in the Eastern Plains, and P. con- generally flourish in all pastures conjugatum), bermuda grass, and jugatum thrives in the upper and constitute a fair percentage carpet grass provide limited limits. Mixed with bahia .can be of the sward; however, seeds are grazing throughout the region found carpet grass (Axonopus not commerc’ lly available. and are exceedingly beneficial in compressus). Para grass (Pani- Tropical kudzu % ueraria phase- the conservation of soil on the oloides) and jicama (Calopogoni- steep mountain slopes. Para 2 Baird, G. B., Manuel Rodriguez J., urn spp.) prosper in most of the grass, guinea grass, and jaragua Victor M. Vega J., and Aljonso regions but are not in common occur in the lower boundaries Aristizabal G. 1957. The fertility use. Yields of alfalfa have been status 0 j soils in important agricul- and molasses grass (Melinus . tural areas of Colombia. Soil Sci. outstanding in the upper boun- minutiflora) is encountered in Sot. o j Amer. Proc. 21: 405-408. daries of the hot climatic zone the upper limits and extends ADAPTATION OF GRASSES AND CLOVERS IN COLOMBIA 227 Table 1. The relative adaptation of grass species and selections af eight locations in Colombia, South America.* Villa- Usme Bogota Las Palmas Manizales IIIi;li: Palmira vicencio Monteria 1.500 ft. Species 11,000 ft. 8,500 ft. 8.000z ft. 6.500, ft. .I . 3.000I ft. 150 ft. Andropogon pertusus N N N N N F F G Anthoxanthum odoratum G F F P N N N N Arrhenatherum elatius F G G P P N N N Avena sativa VG VG VG P P N N N Axonopus compressus N N N G G F N N Axonopus Micay N N N G F N N N Axonopus scoparius N N N VG VG N N N Brachiaria decumbens N N N N G VG G G Bromus catharticus F G G F P N N N Chloris gayana N N N F G VG G F Cynodon dactylon N N N N G G G G C. dactylon (coastal) N N N N VG VG VG VG C. dactylon (midland) N N N N VG VG VG VG C.