Plant vigor variability in two spontaneous populations of <i>Stapfochloa berroi</i> (Arechav.) P. M. Peterson from la Pampa Deprimida

Abstract

Stapfochloa berroi is a perennial grass of spring-summer growth that in Argentina is native and is found in grasslands important for animal production in several provinces. In the halophyte steppes of the Pampa Deprimida, S. berroi is an important resource due to its good forage value and its adaptation to these restrictive environments (sodium soils, low organic matter content, waterlogging, drought) for other forage species. Reincorporation of selected native germplasm would be important both to increase livestock productivity and to maintain biodiversity. Thus, it is key to study characters related to implantation control such as plant vigor.