This study was carried out to evaluate a collection of 53 accessions of Paspalum nicorae, introduced in two physiographically distinct regions over two years, with the objective of characterizing production and quality of forage of access for subsequent phases of a forage plant breeding program. The accessions were established in lines in randomized block design with three replications and the evaluations were performed from October 2007 to February 2009 by using cuts. There was variation of forage production among access over time and among sites. The majority of the accessions of P. nicorae presented high forage yield when compared with the control (P. notatum cv. Pensacola) and some accessions presented very expressive performances. The percentages of crude protein obtained from accessions in the collection were similar to the ones found in the control access. The accessions 28B and 26A of P. nicorae are indicated for subsequent stages in a program of forage plant breeding.
forage; native specie; variability
